
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, 

Chap, Copyright No.. 

Shelf. 



UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



\ 



ILLUSTRATED EXPLANATION OF THE 
PRAYERS AND CEREMONIES OF THE MASS. 




COPVRiQHT-189G- BY B ENZIQER BROTHERS • 

THE PRIEST GOES TO THE ALTAR. 



ILLUSTRATED EXPLANATION 



OF THE 



PRAYERS AND CEREMONIES 
OF THE MASS. 



Rev. D. I. LANSLOTS, O.S.B. 



WITH A PREFACE BY 

Most Rev. F. JANSSENS, D.D., 

Archbishop of New Orlea?is. 



New York, Cincinnati, Chicago : 
BENZIGER BROTHERS, 

Printers to the Holy Apostolic See, 

is 97 
1 . 



TWO COPIES RECEIVED 





ITmprimatur* 

►J^ Michael Augustine, 

Archbishop of New York, 

New York, August 28, 1897. 



Copyright, 1897, by Benziger Brothers. 



PREFACE 



As the real presence of Jesus Christ in the 
Holy Eucharist is the centre of our holy religion, 
so the altar is its principal visible emblem, which 
forms the centre of attraction and of importance 
in a Catholic church. All the parts of the build- 
ing should be directed to give the sanctuary and 
altar prominence and beauty ; and the eyes of all 
the faithful should be concentrated on the altar 
of God, for it is on the altar that the highest and 
holiest mysteries and ceremonies of God's Church 
are enacted. The altar implies a sacrifice ; a sac- 
rifice demands a priest ; what then of more inter- 
est to the faithful than to understand fully the 
meaning of the altar and of the sacrifice offered 
by the priest thereon? This book, " Explana- 
tion of the Prayers and Ceremonies of the Holy 
Mass," deals with these important topics, and 
clearly explains the meaning of the altar, of its or- 
naments, of the vestments, and of the ceremonies 
performed by the celebrant and his ministers. 



6 Preface. 

If the faithful understood better the full mean- 
ing of the holy sacrifice of the Mass, understood 
the ornamentation of the altar, the vestments of 
the priest, the different parts of the Mass, their 
faith in the holy mysteries would be strength- 
ened, and an intelligent and strong faith would 
develop into an active faith. If all Catholics 
possessed this intelligent and active faith, surely 
it would not be necessary for the Church to com- 
mand the assistance at Mass, but Catholics would 
consider it a great privilege to be allowed to assist 
at holy Mass, not merely on Sundays and holy- 
days, but even on ordinary week-days. This 
treatise will do an immense amount of good. 
There is no charity so effective in our days for 
the good of faith and virtue as to scatter this and 
other books of the kind among the people, so as 
to enlighten them in their faith, to make them 
practise their religion, to be a consolation to 
them in the miseries of life, and thus to add 
peace and contentment to their lot here below, 
and smooth the way that leads to the eternal 
joys of heaven. 

fF. JANSSENS, 

Archbishop of New Orleans, 



CONTENTS. 



PAGE 

Preface, by Most Rev. F. Janssens, D.D. , Archbishop of 

New Orleans, 5 

Introduction 9 

chapter 

I.— The Altar, 13 

II.— Altar Decorations, 18 

III. — The Chalice and Its Appurtenances, . . .25 

IV. — The Priestly Vestments, 30 

V. — The Liturgical Colors, 40 

VI. — The Liturgical Language, 51 

VII. — The Beginning of Mass, 57 

VIII. — Incensation, Introit, and Kyrie, . . .69 

IX. — The Gloria and the Collects, .... 77 

X. — Epistle, Gradual, Tract, and Sequence, . . 86 
XL— The Gospel, 93 

XII. — The Credo, 100 

XIII. — The Offertory, .117 

XIV. — Incensing and Washing of Hands, . . .133 
XV. — The Orate Fratres, the Secrets, and the Preface, 145 

XVI. — First Prayer of the Canon, .... 162 

XVII. — From the Commemoration of the Living to the 

Second Prayer, 1 75 

XVIII. — From the Second Prayer to the Consecration, . 199 

XIX. — The Consecration, 209 

XX. — The First Prayer after the Consecration, . . 221 



8 



Contents, 



CHAPTER PAGE 

XXI. — The Second and the Third Prayer after the Con- 
secration, ....... 239 

XXII.— Conclusion of the Canon, the Pater Noster, and 

the Libera, . . . . . . . 256 

XXIII. — From the Breaking of the Host to the Com- 

munion 272 

XXIV. — The Communion, 287 

XXV.— -The Thanksgiving and the End, . . .308 



INTRODUCTION. 



The Church is a moral body, its Head is 
Christ, its members are the faithful. The Head 
and the members co-operate in the actions of the 
Church, and principally in the holiest and sub- 
limest act of religion — the holy sacrifice of the 
Mass. Through the sacred liturgy, and chiefly 
from the holy Mass, the spirit and the life of 
Christ flow into His mystic body and all the 
members who take part in it with attention and 
devotion. It is possible for one to be present at 
the mysteries of our holy religion and yet not 
partake of the fruits thereof. Although one may 
be present bodily at the holy sacrifice of the 
Mass, yet if he take no part in it, and is in no- 
wise a co-offerer with the High-Priest of the New 
Law, he will not experience the salutary influ- 
ence which Christ exerts in His mystic body. 
We see this clearly exemplified by the many 
spectators at the bloody sacrifice on Golgotha. 



I o 



Introduction, 



What did it benefit the impenitent thief? What 
profit did the obdurate Jews derive from it? In 
order to benefit by the holy sacrifice, the mem- 
bers must be united to the Head, and be co-of- 
ferers with Him. Such were the Blessed Virgin 
and a few other pious persons who were present 
at the sacrifice of the cross. The same may be 
said of the apostles in the Cenacle. They prayed 
with Jesus and Jesus with them. They heard 
His words and followed His actions, they thought 
or spoke only of what was being done before 
them ; in a w T ord, they were co-offerers in the 
holy sacrifice. The Christians of the primitive 
Church acted in the same manner at their meet- 
ings. Bishops, priests, and laity were so closely 
united that they formed but one heart and one 
soul. The Prince of the apostles, in his first 
epistle (ii. 9), calls the first Christians "a chosen 
generation, a kingly priesthood,'* surely not in 
the sense which the Reformers of the sixteenth 
century attached to these words, as if each of 
the faithful were exalted to the priesthood of 
the New Law, but because they were chosen to 
take part in the holy mysteries of the Christian 
altar. Would to God that the unity of the first 
Christians might ever have permeated the mem- 



Introduction. 



1 1 



bers of Jesus* mystic body. Would to God that 
Christians would now assist at the awful sacrifice 
of our altars animated with the feelings and the 
dispositions of the apostles and the first Chris- 
tians. But, alas! how degenerate have we be- 
come in the religious sentiments of our ancestors 
in the faith. And why? Because our faith lan- 
guishes, and because we do not strengthen our 
weakness by the means which made heroes of 
them. Why do Christians show so little respect 
and devotion for the sacrifice which is daily of- 
fered on the altar for their salvation ? Why do 
they so readily dispense themselves from assist- 
ing at holy Mass, often for imaginary reasons 
only? Because they do not sufficiently reflect 
over the sublime work at which they assist as 
sleeping members, or because they do not know 
how to unite themselves with their Head in the 
combined offering of the sacrifice to God. We 
are certain, therefore, that our respect and devo- 
tion for the august sacrifice of our altars would 
increase in proportion to our knowledge of the 
ceremonies and prayers of holy Mass. We could 
then make the words of the Psalmist our own : 
"How lovely are Thy tabernacles, O Lord of 
hosts: my soul longeth and fainteth for the 



I 2 



Introduction. 



courts of the Lord. . . . For the sparrow hath 
found herself a house : and the turtle a nest for 
herself, where she may lay her young ones. 
[I find] Thy altars, O Lord of hosts ; my King 
and my God" (Ps. Ixxxiii. 2-4). 



Explanation of the Prayers and 
Ceremonies of the Mass. 



CHAPTER I. 

THE ALTAR. 

The idea of~ an altar is as old as that of sacri- 
fice itself. We find traces of it among the first 
descendants of Adam. Abel, Noe, Abraham, 
and all the patriarchs erected altars tinder the 
blue canopy of heaven to offer thereon their sac- 
rifices to the Lord. When the people of Israel, 
after a long and dreary journey in the desert, had 
reached the Land of Promise, after they had 
ended their wanderings, and had now perma- 
nently set up their tents, they erected a mag- 
nificent altar in the Temple of Jerusalem. This 
wonder of art, on which neither gold nor silver 
was spared, was a figure of our altars, on which, 
from the rising of the sun even to the going 
down, a clean oblation is offered (Mai. i. u). 



14 The Altar. 

The first and most venerable altar, on which 
Christ Himself offered the unbloody sacrifice, 
was a wooden table, which even at this day may 
be seen among the precious relics in the Church 
of St. John Lateran in Rome. In the beginning 
of Christendom, when the blood of martyrs flowed 
in streams, every place became a temple; any- 
thing that could be used as such, an altar. In 
the prisons, in the catacombs, wherever the Chris- 
tians thought themselves safe against the mad 
ferocity of their persecutors, the holy sacrifice was 
offered. An ordinary table, a common board, 
served then as an altar. Sometimes the first 
Christians would go aboard ships in order to be 
protected by the sea and be able to celebrate the 
holy mysteries. At last, when the field of the 
Lord had been sufficiently irrigated by the blood 
of martyrs, and the dawn of peace had risen with 
the conversion of Con stan tine and his elevation 
to the imperial throne, the Christians began to 
erect altars of stone, endeavoring thereby to 
make them worthier of the sacrifice offered on 
them. The Church, inspired by the Holy Ghost, 
ever intent to preserve unity, which is one of her 
divine attributes, judged that the one real offer- 
ing of the New Law required uniformity in the 



The Altar, 15 

construction of altars which would subsequently 
be erected in the Christian world. It is there- 
fore ordered: 

1. That the altar-table (mensa) must be a sin- 
gle stone. This stone is the figure of Christ, 
who has said of Himself : " The stone which the 
builders rejected, the same is become the head 
of the corner" (Matt. xxi. 42). On this corner- 
stone is built the spiritual edifice of the Church. 
To this corner - stone the Church owes her 
strength. It makes her imperishable. 

2. That the attar be consecrated. The altar- 
stone represents not only the rock of Calvary, but 
Christ Himself, "who is the spiritual and mystic 
Rock" (1 Cor. x. 4), and is also emblematic of the 
virtue and holiness required of those who offer the 
holy sacrifice, assist at it, or receive the sacrificed 
God in holy communion. The consecration of 
an altar-stone is one of the most solemn cere- 
monies of our holy religion. After many prayers 
and ceremonies, the bishop blesses salt, ashes, 
and wine, and mixes them in holy water. These 
elements are figures both of the human and the 
divine nature of Christ, as well as of the mortal 
body and the immortal soul of man and of the 
union of both in the blood of Christ. It is not 



The Altar, 



our object to explain the whole ceremony of the 
consecration. We must add, however, that the 
bishop makes with the above mixture five crosses 
on the altar-stone, one in the middle, the others 
on the four corners. This reminds us of that 
stream of grace which flows from the five wounds 
of Jesus, and which diffuses itself from the altar 
upon the Church and the faithful. 

3. That in the altar-stone be inclosed relics of 
saints. This prescription is grounded on the 
general practice of the first Christians, who 
erected altars on the tombs of the martyrs. 
Those who shed their blood for Christ rest at 
the feet of Christ, who is the real Altar, and who 
gave them strength to conquer their enemies 
— on the altar the Lamb; under the altar those 
who sacrificed their life for the Lamb, in order 
that love and its grateful return may be united 
even in death. This is corroborated by a vision 
of St. John, as related in the book of Apocalypse 
(vi. 9). " When He [the Lamb] had opened the 
fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them 
that were slain for the word of God and for the 
testimony which they held." 

4. That the altar be on an elevated place, and 
as far as possible be turned towards the east. 




COPYRKjHT 1896 BY BE.NZIGER BROTHERS. 



THE PRIEST PRAYS AT THE FOOT OF THE ALTAR. 



The Altar, 17 

The altar must be turned towards the east be- 
cause, as we said before, it represents Christ, the 
Sun of justice. The altar must be on an ele- 
vated place, to put us in mind of Calvary's mount 
and to remind us that we ought to elevate our 
hearts heavenwards. The altar, on which our 
eucharistic God and King has His throne, is the 
noblest sanctuary on earth ; it is the chosen para- 
dise of devout souls. There Our Lord calls us 
far away from the noise of the tumultuous world ; 
there the thirsty soul finds a foretaste of heavenly 

happiness, 
a 



CHAPTER II. 



ALTAR DECORATIONS. 

The altar is the holiest place that can be found 
on earth. The majesty of God descends upon 
it; and the body and blood of the Lord rest 
upon -it for the salvation of the world. Love and 
gratitude towards the God-Man make it a duty 
for Christians to see that the altar be not with- 
out ornaments. Could man, after having re- 
ceived so many blessings from the Lord, content 
himself with offering Him in return a bare stone 
for a resting-place? No! A heart in which 
every sentiment of love towards God is not ex- 
tinguished cannot but desire that the best, the 
most beautiful, and the most precious be devoted 
to His service; it wishes to be able to exclaim 
with David: "I have loved, O Lord, the beauty 
of Thy house " (Ps. xxv. 8). We should not 
content ourselves with w T hat is strictly necessary. 
When Magdalen anointed the feet of Jesus with 
precious ointment, one of the disciples remarked 



Altar Decorations. 19 

that this was not necessary, that the money could 
have been put to better use. But who was it 
that said so? Judas, the traitor. The New 
Testament seems to vie with the Old in embel- 
lishing the altar with costly and magnificent 
decorations. The chief things which the lit- 
urgy prescribes or recommends for the ornamen- 
tation of the altar are as follows : 

1 . The altar must be covered with three white 
linen cloths, blessed by the bishop, or by a priest 
empowered to bless them. These cloths remind 
us of the linen towels in which the dead body of 
the Saviour was shrouded and in which it was 
buried. They at the same time represent the 
faithful, who are as a precious garment of Christ. 
The altar must be so covered throughout the 
year, except on Holy Thursday, when after Mass 
the altar is laid bare, to put us in mind of the 
shameful stripping of Christ's most chaste body 
and of his abandonment during His passion. 

2. On each altar there must be two, four, or \ 
six candlesticks with wax candles ; two for a Low j 
Mass, four for a High Mass, and six for a Solemn j 
High Mass. The sacrifice can never be offered I 
except there be at least two lighted candles. 
History proves abundantly that in the first ages 



20 



Altar Decorations. 



of Christianity costly candlesticks adorned the 
altar. The first Christians followed the example 
of the faithful of the Old Law, on whose altars 
shone several candlesticks of pure gold and the 
finest workmanship. The Church prescribes that 
the candles used during Mass be of wax, for 
the lighted wax candle is one of the most im- 
pressive figures of Christ. As the virgin bee 
gathers pure wax from the flowers, so did Jesus 
assume His pure body in the womb of the Flower 
of Nazareth, the most holy Virgin Mary. Even 
as a bright flame glitters from the pure wax can- 
dle, so did the divinity of Jesus shine forth in 
His doctrine, His life, and His miracles. The 
burning wax candle signifies, moreover, the par- 
ticipation of the faithful in the holy sacrifice and 
their union with Christ ; numerous texts of Holy 
Scripture testify to this. The burning wax can- 
dle is also a figure of our hope. " Light is risen 
to the just and joy to the right of heart " (Ps. 
xcvi. n). The hope in a future Redeemer on 
the part of the faithful in the Old Law finds its 
fulfilment on the Christian altar : " To them that 
sat in the region of the shadow of death, light is 
sprung up " (Matt. iv. 16). In the midst of the 
cares and anxieties of this life the Christian 



Altar Decorations. 



21 



must, like the burning candle, whose flame ever 
rises on high, even when inclined or upset, raise 
his eyes and heart to the Origin of all hope and 
of all consolation : Sursum corda. Lastly, light 
is a figure of our love. The candle consumes 
itself, while it burns and gives light. So did 
Christ during the whole term of His mortal life, 
and especially during His passion, consume Him- 
self out of love for us. On the altar, during 
Mass, and in the tabernacle, Jesus continues that 
life of love till the end of ages. There glitter as 
in their centre the rays of His divine love and 
enkindle in our hearts the fire of the sincerest 
return of love. On the altar Jesus, the Light of 
the world, sacrifices Himself for us, — He who 
is the hope of our life, the fire of divine 
love, and in the light of glory will be our hap- 
piness without end. To remind us of these 
great truths, could there be a more beautiful, a 
more appropriate figure than the burning wax 
candle ? 

3. The chief requisite on each altar is the 
crucifix, which serves to remind priest and faith- 
ful, during the holy sacrifice, of the life and death 
of Christ. The cross is the glorious standard of 
the Redeemer, who, during Mass, offers in an un- 



2 2 



Altar Decorations. 



bloody manner the same sacrifice which He once 
offered in a bloody manner on Calvary. 

4. Next come the sacred relics and the images. 
Costly reliquaries are placed between the candle- 
sticks, and not without reason ; for whatever is 
said of the grave of the Saviour applies to a cer- 
tain extent to the resting-places of His saints. 
"His sepulchre shall be glorious" (Is. xi. 10). 
They surround the cross, and silently tell us that 
the sacrifice at which we assist procured for the 
saints the grace to obtain the crown of life. 
They speak to us of the love which Christ bears 
to all the members of His mystic body. Round 
the altar kneel rich and poor, young and old, 
and all are received by Jesus with the same 
affectionate love, when, animated with the same 
feelings, they offer themselves to Him in offer- 
ing the holy sacrifice. 

5. It is a praiseworthy custom, which has its 
origin in the subterraneous oratories of the first 
Christians, to decorate the altar, especially on 
festive occasions, with natural or artificial flow- 
ers. Flowers are the charming remnants of a 
formerly blessed world, and seem not to have 
been comprehended in the general doom ; they 
are striking revelations of God's beauty. A 



Altar Decorations. 23 

pious follower of the gentle saint of Assisi used 
to say : " Three things has God left us from the 
earthly paradise, viz. : the stars, the flowers, and 
the eye of a child." The flowers are one of the 
most beautiful of liturgical images. Not only is 
Jesus Christ Himself called a flower out of the 
root of Jesse, but flowers also are emblems of 
His saints, as recorded in many passages of Holy 
Scripture. " The just shall flourish like the palm- 
tree " (Ps. xci. 13). "I was exalted as a rose- 
plant in Jericho " (Ecclus. xxiv. 18). " As the lily 
among thorns, so is My love among the daugh- 
ters " (Cant. ii. 2). The flowers admonish us in 
their language to adorn our souls with the 
various virtues by which we may glorify God. 
Adorned with innocence and purity of heart, we 
will be found worthy to take part in the offering 
of Him who grazes among the lilies. 

6. From time immemorial costly carpets and 
artistic laces have formed part of the altar deco- 
rations. St. Gregory of Tours testifies that, in 
his day, not only the altars, but even the walls 
of churches were decorated with precious cur- 
tains and draperies. Noble and pious women 
vied with each other, and spared neither time, 
money, nor pains to work with their own hands 



24 Altar Decorations. 

pieces of art wherewith to enhance the glory of 
the Christian altar. The Old Testament speaks 
of costly curtains for the decoration of the Taber- 
nacle and the Temple, and these but prefigure 
the Christian altar and church. Thus spoke the 
Lord to Moses: "Thou shalt make ten curtains 
of fine twisted linen, and violet and purple, and 
scarlet twice dyed, diversified with embroidery " 
(Ex. xxvi.). In this and following chapters 
is clearly laid down all that is required for the 
decoration of the Temple and the altar with all 
their appurtenances; nothing is omitted. Hence 
we may draw this conclusion : if at the express 
command of God so much was required for the 
decoration of the Temple, which comprised but 
a little manna, the tables of the Law, and a few 
other figures, in themselves all needy elements, 
what should not a Christian do towards decorat- 
ing the altar of which the King of heaven and 
earth deigns to make His throne? The most 
beautiful products of our love ought to be de- 
voted to the glory of God's house. It is only 
then that we can in truth say with David : " I 
have loved, O Lord, the beauty of Thy house; 
and the place where Thy glory dwelleth" (Ps. 
xxv. 8). 




COPYRIGHT- 1896- BY BENZIGER BROTHERS. 



AT THE INTROIT. 



f 



CHAPTER III. 



THE CHALICE AND ITS APPURTENANCES. 

The chalice and the paten take the first place 
among the requisites for the holy sacrifice : the 
paten, on which the body of the Lord rests, and 
the chalice, in which His adorable blood flows. 
Before being used, both must be consecrated by 
a bishop; after that laymen are not allowed to 
touch them. The chalice out of which the Sa- 
viour gave His blood to His disciples to drink 
was not of gold, and yet it was precious and ven- 
erable. It is not known with certainty of what 
composition the chalice was which Jesus used 
at the Last Supper; some maintain that it was 
of silver, while others assert that it was an 
earthen cup. In the beginning of Christianity, 
when the oratories reflected more the poverty of 
the stable of Bethlehem, wooden, glass, or copper 
chalices were used. In the first half of the third 
century the wooden chalices were abolished by 
Pope Urban I. (222-230); afterwards those of 



26 The Chalice and its Appurtenances. 

glass, horn, stone, etc., were equally forbidden. 
If the means of churches permitted, chalices of 
costly metal and fine workmanship were used. 
According to the present rulings of the Church, 
the chalice must be either of gold or silver ; only 
in cases of extreme poverty are base-metal chal- 
ices permitted. But if the cup be of silver or 
base metal it must be gilt, at least inside. This 
also applies to the paten. It is, however, clear 
that the validity of the sacrifice does not depend 
upon the value of the chalice. But it is desir- 
able that the most costly metal be used for the 
holiest and sublimest work that can be accom- 
plished on earth. The chalice is a striking fig- 
ure of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The divine 
Heart is the blessed fountain from which the 
blood of the Saviour flows into thousands upon 
thousands of chalices on the Golgotha of the 
Christian altar. In His sacrament of love Jesus 
makes His blood flow by means of the chalice of 
salvation into the hearts of the faithful, to en- 
liven them and to enable them to bring forth 
fruits unto salvation. 

Chalice and paten remind us, moreover, of the 
wood of the cross on which the body of Christ 
hung, and of the holy sepulchre in which the 



The Chalice and its Appurtenances. 27 

Saviour's body rested after He had offered the 
bloody sacrifice. 

The chalice represents also in a striking man- 
ner the passion of Jesus. The Saviour Himself 
often attached that meaning to it. In the Gar- 
den of Olives, sorrowful even unto death, and 
clearly seeing all the tortures which ungrateful 
humanity had reserved for Him, He prayed His 
heavenly Father to remove that chalice from 
Him (Matt. xxvi. 39) ; at the same time offering 
Himself to drink it to the last drop if it were 
His Father's will. Jesus alluded to this mean- 
ing when He asked His apostles: "Can you 
drink the chalice which I shall drink?" (Matt. xx. 
22). The apostles and the martyrs have an- 
swered gloriously by shedding their blood for 
the Crucified. The confessors and virgins who 
were not privileged to give to Jesus that shining 
testimony of their love, at the remembrance of 
what their Lord and Master had done for them, 
asked themselves with the Royal Prophet : u What 
shall I render to the Lord, for all the things that 
He hath rendered to me?" And they have an- 
swered : " I will take the chalice of salvation : 
and I will call upon the name of the Lord" 
(Ps. cxv. 12, 13). They have endeavored to fol- 



28 The Chalice and its Appurtenances. 

low their God by voluntary penance and patient 
forbearance. 

Lastly, the chalice is a figure of love coupled 
with purity. The Latin word calix, or the Greek 
xdko^ seems to indicate that meaning. These 
words mean cup ; also a flower. Pure souls drink 
out of it the wine which bringeth forth virgins; 
they draw from it, as pure bees, the honey of 
divine love. 

Among the appurtenances of the chalice are 
the corporal, on which the body and blood of 
Christ are consecrated, and the pall, used to 
cover the chalice. Originally the pall was part 
of the corporal ; even now the same formula is 
used for the blessing of both. The corporal 
must be of pure white linen. This was ordered 
by Pope Eusebius, who governed the Church in 
the beginning of the fourth century. Great re- 
spect is due to the corporal and the pall, as well 
as to the purificator. The Church, therefore, 
orders that after having been used at the altar 
they first be washed by a cleric who has re- 
ceived one of the higher orders, and that the 
water be poured into the sacrarium. The cor- 
poral reminds us of the white linen cloth wherein 
the body of Jesus was wrapped; the pall the 



The Chalice and its Appurtenances. 29 

winding-sheet wherein His sacred head was en- 
veloped; while the chalice signifies the grave, 
the pall, the tombstone. The purificator is 
used for wiping the chalice and the fingers and 
mouth of the priest after communion. The cor- 
poral must be handled with great respect, and 
ought not to be carried back and forth with bare 
hands, nor be left on the altar. The Church 
uses the burse to enclose it. The burse should 
be open only on one side and large enough to 
receive the folded corporal ; it must besides be of 
the same material and color as the vestment. 
The veil, wherewith the chalice is covered before 
the Offertory and after the Communion, must be 
of silk and of the same color as the vestment. 
It is called veil because it covers the chalice, 
and also because it alludes to the deep mysteries 
accomplished in the chalice, w T hich are hidden 
from us. 



CHAPTER IV. 



THE PRIESTLY VESTMENTS. 

When in the Old Law God notified His people 
by what offerings He willed that they should ac- 
knowledge His supremacy, He appointed Aaron 
and his descendants as mediators between Him- 
self and man. In the exercise of their duty 
they had to wear a singular yet appropriate ap- 
parel. God ordered Moses (Ex. xxviii. 2) to make 
a holy vesture for his brother Aaron, for glory 
and for beauty. "Thou shalt speak to all the 
wise of heart, whom I have filled with the spirit 
of wisdom," thus spoke the Lord, " that they may 
make Aaron's vestments, in which he being 
consecrated may minister to Me. And these 
shall be the vestments that they shall make : A 
rational and an ephod, a tunic and a strait linen 
garment, a mitre and a girdle. And they shall 
take gold, and violet, and purple, and scarlet 
twice dyed, and fine linen." The obvious ques- 
tion now arises : If the Lord in the Old Law re- 



The Priestly Vestments. 31 

quired such superb and precious vestments for 
the priests in offering sacrifices, which were 
mere figures, shadows of the sacrifice of the New 
Law, how ardently must He not desire that the 
priests appear in beautiful and rich vestments 
when they proceed to offer the unbloody sacri- 
fice with the High-Priest of the New Law? In 
the very first ages of Christianity the Church 
prescribed for her priests a separate apparel, 
which was quite different from the common fash- 
ion, and ran no risk of being adopted by the 
laity. She had a very good reason for doing so; 
these visible signs were to inspire the faithful 
with greater respect for the invisible sacrifice. 
When the Reformers of the sixteenth century, as 
precursors of Antichrist, to whom power shall 
be given against the continual sacrifice, suc- 
ceeded in replacing in some places holy Mass 
by soulless services of prayers and lectures, they 
began also to mock at the priestly vestments, in 
order to screen their apostasy. Many of our 
separated brethren have acknowledged the mis- 
take of their ancestors, and resumed by degrees 
the very vestments which they once rejected. 
Unfortunately they have no real priests and con- 
sequently no offering, for their religion is a body 



32 The Priestly Vestments. 

without soul. The priestly vestments for the 
holy sacrifice are the following: the amice, alb, 
girdle, maniple, stole, and chasuble. Pope In- 
nocent III., speaking on this subject, says that 
the different vestments which the priest wears at 
the altar signify one thing in regard to the Head, 
namely, Our Saviour, and another thing in re- 
gard to the members. Because the priest at the 
altar takes the place of Head and members, 
these vestments signify now the one, then the 
other. 

The amice, or shoulder-dress, is so called be- 
cause it must cover the head and the shoulders of 
the priest. The priest first holds the amice be- 
fore his face; to signify Jesus Christ, the hidden 
God, who concealed His divinity under cover of 
His humanity, especially during His passion. It 
reminds us besides of the mockeries which Jesus 
bore when the bloodthirsty Jews blindfolded 
Him and buffeted Him in the face, saying: 
" Prophesy unto us, O Christ, who is he that 
struck Thee" (Matt. xxvi. 68). In a moral sense 
the amice admonishes the priest and the faithful 
to be vigilant during holy Mass, that neither 
their eyes nor their understanding may be car- 
ried away nor they busy themselves with vain 



i 




COPYRlCrHf - 1896 BY BENZIQE.R BROTHERS. 



AT THE KYRIE ELEISON. 



The Priestly Vestments. 33 

thoughts. That is why the priest prays while 
he puts on the amice that he may overcome all 
diabolical incursions. And not without reason, 
for, if the devils as roaring lions ever run round 
seeking whom they may devour, they must re- 
double their efforts during Mass to besiege the 
faithful with dangerous representations in order 
to take away their attention from the altar and 
deprive them of the merits thereof. 

The alb is a long, white, linen garment which 
covers the priest from the shoulders to the feet. 
The alb is, in the first place, a figure of the 
snow-white garment of sanctifying grace which 
we received in Baptism, and which is increased 
by the sacraments of the New Law. The alb is 
also a figure of the glory wherewith the elect 
will be crowned in heaven. The great multi- 
tude which St. John saw before the throne of the 
Almighty were clothed with white robes. It was 
revealed to St. John that " these were they who 
were come out of great tribulation and had 
washed their robes and made them white in the 
blood of the Lamb" (Ap. vii. 14), The alb, more- 
over, puts us in mind of Jesus Christ, the High- 
Priest of the New Law, of His joys and of His 
sufferings. In snow-white robes Christ appeared 
3 



34 The Priestly Vestments. 

to His apostles at His glorious transfiguration 
on Thabor. Herod put on Him a white garment 
to deride Him. After He had expired on the 
cross His lifeless body was enveloped in white 
linen sheets. Finally, the alb is a figure of the 
spotless innocence and purity of body and soul 
which ought to adorn the priest at all times, but 
especially when He offers the adorable sacrifice. 
The prayer of the priest when putting on the alb 
expresses this: "Make me white, O Lord, and 
cleanse my heart, that I, being whitened in the 
blood of the Lamb, may enjoy eternal gladness/' 
The girdle represents the ropes wherewith our 
Saviour was bound and the rods wherewith His 
sacred body was scourged. While putting on 
the girdle the priest says the following prayer: 
" Gird me, O Lord, with the girdle of purity, and 
quench in my loins the humor of lust, that there 
may remain in me the virtue of continency and 
chastity." The girdle is therefore a figure of 
continency and virginal chastity, and also of the 
subduing of concupiscence, the seat of which is 
the loins. Hugh of St. Victor remarks that the 
priest binds with the girdle the stole, the em- 
blem of priestly power, crossways over his breast, 
to show that the virtue of chastity above all other 



The Priestly Vestments. 35 

virtues will make him a worthy minister of the 
altar. Virginal chastity is the most precious 
and most glittering gem in the crown of priestly 
virtues. It gives him that independence and 
that manly courage which are so necessary to 
him in the exercise of his priestly duties. 

The maniple seems not to have been numbered 
among the priestly garments in the beginning 
of the Church. It had more the shape of a 
handkerchief, which the subdeacon, deacon, and 
priest wore on the left arm. It is evident that 
in those days of fervent faith, when the faithful 
passed hours and hours in churches or catacombs, 
considering the intense heat in countries where 
the Gospel was first preached, many a drop of 
perspiration had to be wiped away during divine 
service. For many centuries, however, the man- 
iple has been a priestly garment, as we have it 
now. In a moral sense the maniple is an emblem 
of the tears of penance ; of the fatigues attached 
to the priestly office ; of the toil and work of the 
priest, and also of his joyful reward in eternity. 
This is expressed in the prayer said by the priest 
when putting the maniple on his left arm: "Let 
me merit, O Lord, to bear the maniple of weep- 
ing and sorrow, that I may receive the recom- 



36 The Priestly Vestments. 

pense of my labor with exultation." The man- 
iple further typifies the ropes and the chains 
wherewith the Saviour was bound during His 
passion, particularly the chains wherewith He 
was tied to the pillar to be scourged. 

The stole, like the maniple, reminds us of the 
ropes wherewith Jesus was bound during His 
passion. It is the proper emblem of priestly 
power and is, therefore, used at every exercise 
of that power, in churches and in private dwel- 
lings, in public and in private. Only those 
who belong to the three highest orders of the 
ecclesiastical hierarchy are allowed to wear the 
stole. The way in which it is worn indicates 
the order to which they belong. The deacon, 
who has not yet received the power to conse- 
crate, to retain or to remit sins, puts the stole 
on his left shoulder and crosses the two ex- 
tremities under his right arm. The priest, 
whose power is limited and dependent, crosses 
the stole on his breast. The bishop, who has 
received the fulness of the priesthood, lets the 
two sides Jiang down. The Pope alone has the 
right to wear the stole always and everywhere, 
because he alone is the vicegerent of Jesus 
Christ, our High-Priest, who has said of Him- 



The Priestly Vestments. 37 

self: " All power is given to Me in heaven and 
in earth" (Matt, xxviii. 18), and from whom 
every power and every mission proceeds : " As 
the Father hath sent Me, I also send you" (John 
xx. 21). At the ordination of a priest the bishop 
says, while investing him with the stole: "Re- 
ceive the yoke of the Lord, for His yoke is sweet 
and His burden is light." These words indicate 
that the stole is a figure of the fatigues and con- 
solations attached to the priestly office. His 
calling very often requires of him great self-sac- 
rifices. To preach the word of God, to admin- 
ister the sacraments, especially the Sacrament of 
Penance, to visit the sick, no matter with what 
sickness they may be stricken, to direct souls 
intrusted to their care, and other similar duties, 
show clearly that the priestly office is really a 
yoke. That is why the stole is worn on the 
shoulders. When the priest puts on the stole 
he says the following prayer : " Render unto me, 
O Lord, the stole of immortality, which I lost 
through the prevarication of our first parents, and, 
although I approach unworthily to Thy holy mys- 
tery, may I nevertheless deserve to attain ever- 
lasting joy and felicity." The stole admonishes 
the priest to apply himself with all his soul and 



38 The Priestly Vestments. 

heart to his own sanctification, that he may re- 
ceive the garment of immortality. 

The vestment proper, or the chasuble, may be 
used only for the holy sacrifice of the Mass, and 
on no other occasion. In regard to Christ, the 
chasuble represents the garment without seam, 
made by the hands of His blessed Mother, which 
during His passion was torn from His sacred 
person. It also represents the purple mantle 
w r herewith the incestuous Herod clothed Him in 
scorn. The words uttered by the bishop while 
presenting the chasuble to the newly ordained 
priest explain its mystical signification: " Re- 
ceive the sacerdotal garment, for the Lord is 
powerful to increase in you love and perfection." 
The chasuble is therefore an emblem of love. 
Even as the chasuble covers the other vestments 
and perfects the priestly apparel, so does love 
throw light and perfection on all other virtues; 
love is the goal, the band of perfection. The 
chasuble is worn only at Mass, for on the altar is 
the Furnace of divine love ; there burns the 
heavenly fire that must enkindle our cold hearts. 
When Jesus, the Good Shepherd, left the world 
to return to His Father, He charged the priests 
with the care of His flock. Love of God and of 



The Priestly Vestments. 39 

the neighbor must be the soul of the priest's 
zeal. We may well apply to the priest, attired 
in his sacerdotal garments, the words which 
Holy Scripture applies to a high-priest of the 
Old Testament: " He [Simon, the high-priest] 
shone in his days as the morning star in the 
midst of a cloud, and as the moon at the full. 
And as the sun when it shineth, so did he shine 
in the temple of God. ... As a bright fire, and 
frankincense burning in the fire. As a massy 
vessel of gold, adorned with every precious 
stone. As an olive-tree budding forth, and a 
cypress-tree rearing itself on high, when he put 
on the robe of glory, and was clothed with the 
perfection of power" (Ecclus. 1. 6-1 1). 



CHAPTER V. 



THE LITURGICAL COLORS. 

Even as the Lord prescribed a distinctive 
garment for Aaron and his descendants in the 
exercise of their priestly duties, so He willed 
that certain colors should speak in their lan- 
guage to the senses and contribute towards excit- 
ing men to greater respect. " I entered into a 
covenant with thee, saith the Lord God : and thou 
becamest Mine. . . . And I clothed thee with 
embroidery, and shod thee with violet-colored 
shoes. . . . And thou wast adorned with gold 
and silver, and wast clothed with fine linen, and 
embroidered work, and many colors" (Ezech. xvi. 
8-13). The Lord wishes to see His bride, the 
holy Church, adorned with rich apparel and many 
colors when she proceeds to renew with Him the 
offering of the cross on the altar. The colors 
are as figures of the treasures of grace where- 
with the Lord enriches His Church, and of the 
mysteries which He celebrates with her in the 



The Liturgical Colors. 41 

course of the liturgical year. As the bright 
light of the sun shows itself to us in striking 
variations of colors, shooting forth its crimson 
rays by the rising aurora, making the broad 
firmament glitter in azure blue, or covering the 
earth as with a carpet of colors, which culminate 
in a superb rainbow, and thereby gives light and 
life, and makes everything grow and flourish; 
so also does the Sun of justice shoot forth from 
the altar His rays into the spiritual world, gives 
life and light to His members, and adorns them 
with varied flowers of virtues. " Every year the 
Church sees her youth renewed, because in the 
course of the liturgical year she is assisted by 
her heavenly Bridegroom. Every year she sees 
Him anew as a child in the cradle, later fasting 
on the mountain, again sacrificing Himself on 
the cross, rising from the dead, and finally as- 
cending into heaven, whence He sends the Holy 
Ghost upon His disciples. Every year the Spirit 
of God takes possession anew of His well-be- 
loved, and assures unto her light and love. 
Every year the Church draws an increase of life 
from the maternal influence which the Blessed 
Virgin exercises over her on the days of her 
joys, her sorrows, and her glorification. Every 



42 The Liturgical Colors. 

year do the heavenly spirits and the saints, the 
apostles, the martyrs, the confessors, and the 
virgins obtain for her powerful assistance and 
unspeakable consolation" (Gueranger). What is 
true of the Church in general applies also to each 
of the faithful, solicitous to receive the gifts of 
God. The liturgical colors adopted by the 
Church for her priests and altars are so many 
figures of the mysteries celebrated during the 
ecclesiastical year; they serve to explain them 
and add splendor to them ; also to place their 
results in a clearer light before the eyes of 
the faithful. The colors which the Church has 
selected and prescribed in her liturgy are white, 
red, green, purple, and black. 

White is the emblem of innocence, joy, and 
glorification. White is the garment of the newly 
baptized infant after it has been purified in the 
Sacrament of Regeneration from all stain of sin. 
Shining was the face of the Lord at His trans- 
figuration on Thabor, and His garments were 
white as snow (Matt. xvii. 2). The heavenly 
multitude of saints, which no man can number 
and which St. John saw before the throne, in 
sight of the Lamb, are clothed with white robes 
(Apoc. vii. 9). Since during holy Mass the King 



The Liturgical Colors. 43 

of glory comes down to enrich His Church and 
the faithful with treasures of graces, white, the 
emblem of joy and glorification, is the appropri- 
ate color. The alb and the amice are always 
white. All the vestments are white on those 
feasts which remind us more than others of celes- 
tial joy, purity, and glory. These are, in the first 
place, the joyful and glorious mysteries of Our 
Saviour, such as Christmas, the day on which 
the Sun of justice, clothed with our humanity, 
as a child in the cradle, smiles at us; Easter, the 
day on which Christ, triumphant over death, 
rises from the grave, and on which the Church 
every year sings exultantly : " This is the day 
which the Lord hath made : let us be glad and 
rejoice therein" (Ps. cxvii. 24) ; Ascension Day, 
on which the Lord ascended gloriously into 
heaven; Corpus Christi, when the God of love, 
concealed under the sacramental appearances, 
pours streams of grace and joy on humanity; all 
other joyful feasts of the Saviour require the 
typical white vestment. Next come the feasts 
of the Blessed Virgin Mary, that lily of en- 
chanting beauty, in whose rays the saints of the 
Old as well as those of the New Law disappear. 
The white vestment is also used on the feasts of 



44 lhe Liturgical Colors. 

the holy angels, of confessors, and of virgins. 
The angels are by their nature pure spirits, eter- 
nally happy in the beatific vision of the Divine 
Majesty. The confessors are those faithful ser- 
vants to whom the Lord addresses, at their 
death, these sweet words: "Well done, good 
and faithful servant : . . . enter thou into the joy 
of thy Lord" (Matt. xxv. 21). The virgins are 
those pure lilies which will flourish forever in 
the sight of the Lord. The white vestment fur- 
ther puts us in mind of the white baptismal gar- 
ment, and admonishes us to do our utmost to 
keep it clean and undefiled, if we wish afterwards 
to be crowned with glory. 

Red is the richest of all liturgical colors. 
White is the color of light ; red is the color of 
the most intense light, viz., fire. Red is there- 
fore chiefly the emblem of love, of which the 
heart is the seat. Like the setting sun on a clear 
summer day, love glows most intensely in the 
bloody offering of life through martyrdom, as 
Our Saviour Himself testifies : " Greater love 
than this no man hath, that a man lay down his 
life for his friends" (John xv. 13). "In this we 
have known the charity of God, because He hath 
laid down His life for us" (1 John iii. 16). The 



The Liturgical Colors. 45 

Holy Church uses red on all feasts that have 
reference to the passion of our divine Saviour. 
It would have been, on the part of God, an ex- 
ceedingly great mark of love towards us, had He 
given us His only-begotten Son in order that, 
clothed with humanity, He should reign on earth 
to receive the homage of His creatures ; but it is 
far beyond the human intellect to comprehend 
that God's love towards ungrateful mankind 
should go so far as to deliver up His own con- 
substantial Son to suffer and to die on a cross. 
The cross was the altar on which He completed 
the work of reconciliation; the blood He shed 
was the price He paid for our redemption. By 
the red vestment the Church places before our 
eyes the love of Jesus, as shown especially dur- 
ing his passion and also her love towards her di- 
vine Bridegroom. To that love she has testified 
by the bloody martyrdom of her children. The 
Church, therefore, uses red on the feast-days of 
the holy martyrs, who, fearing neither torture 
nor death, sacrificed their lives for Him. Finally, 
red is used on Pentecost. On that day the priest 
wears the red vestment to represent the tongues 
of fire, under which form the Holy Ghost then 
visibly appeared, and descends even now in an 



46 The Liturgical Colors. 

invisible manner into the hearts of millions of 
faithful. Pentecost is as the birthday of the 
Church, which is vivified by the blood of Jesus 
and watered by the blood of martyrs. Nothing 
could be more appropriate to represent that love 
than the color of love. In the Canticle of Canti- 
cles we read of the heavenly Bridegroom : " My 
beloved is white and ruddy" (v. 10) ; and so white 
and red are the principal colors of the liturgy. 

Green is the favorite color of the human eye, 
on which it produces a soothing and salutary in- 
fluence. Green is the primitive color of nature, 
the color of all growing plants. It is in every 
country the color of hope and peace. The dove 
which Noe sent forth from the ark brought back 
in its beak a green olive-branch to show that the 
waters of the deluge had subsided. Green is the 
chief color of the rainbow which God placed in 
the heavens as a sign of peace. In more than 
one respect is green a very appropriate color, 
symbolizing the different attributes and the very 
essence of the Church. For in the Church we 
have a band of unity and peace among nations; 
she inspires us with the sweet hope of a happier 
life ; she is that flourishing tree, watered and 
vivified by the precious blood of Jesus Christ, 



The Liturgical Colors. 47 

whose crown extends to heaven, and whose 
branches spread over the whole earth. Green 
is used on the Sundays between Epiphany and 
Septuagesima, and between Pentecost and Ad- 
vent. These Sundays have no particular festive 
character, and remind us of the quiet and peace- 
ful working of the Church in the well-founded 
hope of the future. Hope is our strength and 
guide during our pilgrimage to the heavenly 
fatherland. St. Gregory admonishes us when 
we see the green vestment to remember eternal 
spring in the other life, where the blessed flour- 
ish forever. 

Purple is one of the weak colors. It reflects 
the rays of light as veiled, and for this reason is 
not suitable to represent a joyful event, but 
rather to excite in us serious considerations. 
Purple is principally the color of penance and 
mortification, coupled with a humble and ear- 
nest desire after the eternal goods. Purple is, 
then, the appropriate color on those days which 
are, more than others, days of penance, and on 
which the Church exhorts the faithful to pen- 
ance, as for instance Advent and Lent. Al- 
though Advent is not the time of strict penances, 
like Lent, as the Church expresses in her liturgy 



48 The Liturgical Colors. 

the assurance that the Saviour of the world will 
soon .be born, yet she prepares herself by pen- 
ance to give Him a worthy reception. She will 
therefore not lay aside her purple vestments till 
the Word is made flesh and the joyful canticle of 
the angels (the Gloria in excelsis) echoes in the 
air. During Lent the whole liturgy of the 
Church bespeaks penance; beginning on Ash 
Wednesday, when she puts ashes on our heads, 
to make us think of our nothingness and at the 
same time to remind us of the curse whereby 
God subjected our first parents to death on ac- 
count of sin, until Holy Saturday, when the joy- 
ful Alleluia will resound through the Church, 
she uses purple vestments except at the Mass on 
Maundy Thursday. The purple vestments are 
used besides on the ember days, on which the 
faithful by prayer and penance besiege Heaven 
to obtain zealous laborers for the vineyard of the 
Lord. Purple is also used on the vigils of great 
feasts, to induce the faithful to prepare them- 
selves by works of mortification and penance in 
order to obtain a greater share of the graces 
w^hich Our Lord is wont to bestow on such occa- 
sions. Finally, for the same reasons purple is 
used on all public manifestations of penance and 




COPYRIGHT- I89S- BY BELNZIQ ER BROTHERS 



AT THE DOMINUS VOBISCUM AFTER THE GLORIA. 



I 



The Liturgical Colors. 49 

mortifications, such as the processions on St. 
Mark's day and on Rogation days. Whenever 
we see the purple vestment used in church, we 
are reminded of the words of Our Saviour: " Do 
penance, for the kingdom of heaven is near." 

Black is the color of death and of the grave, 
and the sign of deepest sorrow. Holy Church 
uses black on Good Friday, the day on which the 
Saviour of the world in the excess of His love 
died nailed to a cross. The whole creation put 
on mourning on that day: the sun was obscured, 
the earth shook to its very foundation, every- 
thing was plunged in grief to express its inmost 
sadness for the frightful murder of a God. 
Everything weeps and moans; the liturgical 
color on that day expresses the sincere sympathy 
of the Church in the passion and tortures of her 
divine Bridegroom. The black vestment is very 
appropriate to remind us of Calvary and make 
us bewail our sins, which were the real execu- 
tioners of the God-Man. The Church is a loving 
mother, who cannot be insensible to the woes and 
trials of her children. She rejoices with the joy- 
ful and weeps with the afflicted. Therefore she 
uses black at the burial and in the Masses offered 

up for the repose of her deceased children. 
4 



50 The Liturgical Colors. 

From the foregoing it may be seen that the 
liturgical colors are the visible expressions of the 
sentiments which animate the Church during the 
holy sacrifice of the Mass. The priest, by the 
different liturgical colors, bears in a way the whole 
history of the Church on his shoulders — her trials 
and her victories, the virtues of Christ and of 
the saints, the sorrows and the joys of the faith- 
ful. They contribute powerfully to remove our 
thoughts from earthly things and to turn them 
heavenwards. 



CHAPTER VI. 



THE LITURGICAL LANGUAGE. 



The Church has arranged in all their details 
the sacred vessels and the priestly vestments 
which should be used at the altar; she has by 
the inspiration of the Holy Ghost appointed how 
and in what manner the awful and unbloody sac- 
rifice should be offered to God. So also she has 
prescribed with as much wisdom as discretion 
that Latin should be her language and that 
Mass be said in that tongue. It is true that the 
Church has left to some Eastern nations since 
their return to unity with Rome the language in 
which they had before worshipped. She did so 
as a benign mother, to facilitate the return of her 
separated children. History tells us that SS. 
Cyril and Methodius, after having converted the 
Slavonians, used and prescribed their language 
for the ecclesiastical offices. They did so prob- 
ably because in those countries a sufficient num- 



52 The Liturgical Language. 

ber of priests could not be had who understood 
Latin, or to prevent those nations from returning 
to the Greek schism ; probably for both reasons. 

With a few exceptions Latin is the language 
of the Church. The Reformers of the sixteenth 
century, having abolished the real priesthood, pro- 
posed to found a religion without the sacrifice of 
the New Law. Even the pagan philosophers of 
old looked upon a religion without a sacrifice as 
an impossibility ; it is like a body without a soul. 
But what the heathens understood, the so-called 
enlightened Reformers refused to admit. They 
had done away with the Mass, which for them 
was but idolatry. To cover their apostasy they 
had to do away also with the language in which 
the Mass had been offered from the time of the 
apostles. Mass, or what they substituted for it, 
had to be said in the national tongue, to instruct 
those present. They forgot that the Mass is not 
a sermon, nor the altar a pulpit, a confessional, 
or a school-bench. Catholics are instructed in 
sermons, lectures, etc., in their mother tongue, 
and enabled thereby to follow the priest at the 
altar and unite themselves with him. For the 
Reformers this should have been all that was 
needed. Supposing for a moment it were neces- 



The Liturgical Language. 53 

sary for the faithful to understand the priest at 
the altar, let us examine the consequences of 
such an arrangement. In that case the churches 
could not be larger than a good-sized hall; the 
altar should be in the middle of the church, and 
the priest would have to speak in a loud voice. 
The celebration of more than one Mass at the 
same time would be out of the question. No 
more organ-playing or singing then. Nor is 
that all. If there be no longer a liturgical lan- 
guage, the national language should of course 
take its place in religious services. There must 
be then as many different sorts of missals as 
there are languages; and, while living languages 
are subject to continual changes, the missals 
must share the same fate, for otherwise they 
would contain many false and ridiculous expres- 
sions. No priest could celebrate in a foreign 
country except he carry his own missal with him, 
and then again his foreign audience would not 
understand him. How should missionaries act 
in countries that have no written language, lan- 
guages which it often takes them years to study 
to enable them to preach the word of God? 
Who among them would dare use in the holy 
sacrifice of the Mass his own translation? With- 



54 The Liturgical Language. 

out the infallible declaration of the Church he 
cannot with certainty believe that his translation 
is correct. Which language should a priest use 
when his audience is composed of representa- 
tives of five or six different nations, speaking no 
other language than their own? It is impossible 
for the priest to suit them all, for it is not given 
to every one to be understood in one language 
by people of all nations. It is therefore clear 
that the Church for very good reasons could not 
allow the national language to be used at the 
holy sacrifice. 

Yet it is not arbitrarily that the Church adopted 
Latin as the language of religion. When the 
apostles went forth to preach the Gospel in the 
almost unlimited Roman Empire, they found 
most generally spoken the three languages in 
which the title of the cross had been written, 
viz. : Hebrew or Syro-Chaldaic, Greek, and 
Latin. Of the three the Latin soon obtained 
the preference, for it was the language of Rome, 
which then held sway over nearly the whole 
known world, and which was in the designs of 
God's providence destined to be the head of all 
Christian churches on earth. That language 
echoed alike in the dark catacombs of ancient 



The Liturgical Language. 55 

Rome and in the splendid basilicas of the Mid- 
dle Ages. Martyrs and confessors without num- 
ber, the priests of all times, have used Latin to 
offer the holy sacrifice, to pray, and to sing. As 
the Church is our mother, so is Latin the mother 
tongue of all the faithful. Latin expresses with 
greater force and beauty the feelings which ani- 
mate the Church. Latin is a so-called dead lan- 
guage, not subject to incessant changes; it re- 
mains unchanged, and is a mark of the one true 
and unchangeable religion. One faith, one 
Church, one sacrifice, one liturgy, one liturgical 
language ! This wonderful unity, which is the 
special prerogative of the Catholic Church, is 
a beautiful figure of the celestial Jerusalem, 
v/here angels and saints sing with one voice 
their eternal "Holy! Holy! Holy!" Latin is 
the language of Christendom; it is the lan- 
guage of the priests in their relations with the 
bishops, and of the bishops with the Pope ; in 
Latin the Catholics of all nations understand 
one another. How beautiful and consoling it 
is for a Catholic to be able to follow the relig- 
ious services in all the Catholic churches on 
earth, just as in his own native place! He 
may travel from one end of the earth to the 



56 The Liturgical Language. 

other: in Europe and in America, in Asia and 
in Africa, wherever there is a Catholic priest 
he will feel at home; if he has been instruct- 
ed in his own mother tongue, he can every- 
where follow the priest during the unbloody 
sacrifice. 



CHAPTER VII. 



THE BEGINNING OF MASS. 

The " Ordo Missce" or " Ordinary of the Mass," 
is that collection of prayers and ceremonies re- 
curring in every Mass, and remaining unchanged, 
notwithstanding the different feasts of the eccle- 
siastical year. To form a. clear idea of a Low 
Mass we must understand the ceremonies of 
High Mass, which is as the basis of all others. 
It might be asked, for instance, why the priest 
reads the epistle on one side of the altar and the 
gospel on the other; why for all praying and 
reading he should not rather remain in the mid- 
dle of the altar. These actions do not form a 
necessary part of the sacrifice, and remind us of 
what happens in a High Mass. At High Mass 
the deacon sings the gospel on the left side, and 
the subdeacon the epistle on the right side of 
the altar, as will hereafter be explained. At a 
Low Mass the priest performs the duties of 
deacon and subdeacon, and takes the places as- 



58 The Beginning of Mass. 

signed to these at High Mass. We must there- 
fore often find in a Solemn Mass the reasons of 
different actions at a Low Mass. We are not 
prepared though to follow certain writers, who 
try to attach to all without exception a mystical 
meaning. Many minor particulars seem to have 
no other reason than convenience. Why is a 
missal-stand used, if not for the convenience of 
the priest? Why is a small cruet used at the 
Offertory for pouring water into the chalice, if 
not to prevent a too great quantity of water — 
and so on with a few other particulars? The 
sacrifice of the Mass is essentially the same as 
the sacrifice of the cross ; we must represent to 
ourselves Our Saviour nailed to a cross and 
offering His blood to His heavenly Father in 
expiation of our sins. It would be, however, 
difficult, not to say impossible, to find in the 
different parts of the Mass all the particulars of 
the passion of Our Lord ; but this is not needed. 

The priest, having put on the ecclesiastical 
vestments in the vestry, wearing the berretta and 
bearing the chalice in his hands, proceeds slowly 
to the altar. At the foot of the altar he makes a 
profound reverence to the cross, or a genuflexion 
if the Blessed Sacrament be kept on the altar. 



The Beginning of Mass. 59 

Then he ascends the altar-steps, spreads the cor- 
poral, whereon he places the chalice, opens the 
missal, returns to the middle, and descends from 
the altar. Before the altar, in the midst of the 
people, whose representative he is before God, and 
in union with them, he begins the holy sacrifice. 
He remembers, on the one hand, the infinite value 
of the offering and his own.unworthiness, and, 
on the other, the greatest honor which this sac- 
rifice brings to God, and the streams of grace 
which it showers over the whole Church. Were 
he to cast his eyes on his own nothingness and 
on the infinite value of the sacrifice only, he 
would perhaps not dare ascend the altar, but he 
remembers also the words of St. Bonaventure 
("De Praeparatione ad Missam/' c. 5). A priest 
who does not say Mass when he can deprives, 
as far as is in his power, the Blessed Trinity of 
the honor and glory which is due to it, the 
angels of joy, sinners of pardon, the just of grace 
and help, the souls in purgatory of a soothing in 
their pains, the Church of Christ of a special 
benefit, and his own self of a medicine and an 
antidote against daily sins and defects. He be- 
gins therefore in profound humility at the foot 
of the altar with the sign of the cross: "In the 



60 The Beginning of Mass. 

name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy 
Ghost. Amen . " (These are the last words which 
our divine Saviour Himself taught us, when, on 
the point of ascending into heaven, He commis- 
sioned His apostles to go and teach all nations.) 
All present kneel down, sign themselves with 
the sign of the cross, and pronounce the same 
words. How beautiful to behold the great hu- 
man family, gathered around the altar under the 
banner of the cross, offering together to Al- 
mighty God the unbloody renewal of the sacrifice 
of the cross ! How could we more appropriately 
begin the holy mysteries than with the sign and 
the words which are the epitome of our faith, 
and by which we openly profess the great mys- 
teries thereof: the unity of God, the trinity of 
Persons, and the mystery of our Redemption. 
Well penetrated with the reality of these great 
mysteries, which are as the centre of the holy 
sacrifice, it will not be difficult to assist with 
due respect. 

After the sign of the cross, the priest says 
the antiphon : " I will go in to the altar of 
God: to God, who giveth joy to my youth," 
followed by Psalm xlii., which he recites al- 
ternately with the acolytes. The Church uses 



The Beginning of Mass. 61 

in her liturgy the Psalms, on account of some 
special reference to her actions or intentions 
which these contain. The verse which serves as 
antiphon shows that David was in the prime of 
life when he composed that psalm. It was on his 
flight to escape the wrath of his son Absalom, 
far away from home, beset by dangers, longing 
for the Temple, wherein he found the joy of his 
youth. The Church tries to excite such senti- 
ments in our hearts when, at the beginning of 
Mass, she repeats the mournful canticle of 
David. Loaded with the consequences of origi- 
nal sin, banished in this valley of tears, the 
priest prays with the faithful for assistance 
against all the interior and exterior enemies of 
their souls. Whence must that aid come if not 
from Him who is Light and Truth? David 
seems to wonder over the uneasiness of his soul, 
but he pacifies it with confidence in God, and 
therefore his words are partly a canticle of 
joy. This is the reason why this psalm is not 
recited in Masses of Requiem, because we pray 
then for the repose of a soul whose parting has 
left us in uncertainty and mourning. The psalm 
is also omitted from Passion Sunday to Easter, 
because all the thoughts of the Church are then 



62 The Beginning of Mass. 

bent on the remembrance of the passion of her 
divine Bridegroom ; hence there is no cause for 
joy. 

The psalm is concluded, as are most of the 
liturgical prayers, with the little doxology: 
" Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to 
the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, 
and is now, and ever shall be, world without 
end." SS. Basil and Anastasius, who flourished 
in the fourth century of the Christian era, speak 
of the first part of the doxology as being intro- 
duced into the sacred liturgy by the apostles 
themselves. The second part was added by a 
general council held in 529 against the Arians, 
who denied the consubstantiality of the Son. 
The priest repeats the antiphon and adds : " Our 
help is in the name of the Lord," signing him- 
self at the same time with the sign of the cross, 
to show that in order to be worthy to go in to 
the altar of the Lord he must rely, not on his 
own merits, but on the help of the Almighty, 
help which he may justly hope for, through the 
merits of the Redeemer who died on the cross. 
The acolytes respond : 44 Who created heaven 
and earth," expressing the hope that the priest 
may rightly place his confidence on Him who 



The Beginning of Mass. 63 

in His omnipotence can purify him of all stain 
and make him worthy to go in to the altar of 
the Lord. 

Mindful of his own tm worthiness and confid- 
ing in the help of the loving Father, who, 
with far more tenderness than the father of the 
prodigal son, receives in His arms every repen- 
tant sinner, the priest begins the confession of 
his sins — the Conjiteor. This confession, al- 
though insufficient for the remission of mortal 
sin, should the soul be stained with any, remits, 
as do other sacramentals, venial sin. The Con- 
fiteor is composed of two parts: the first is a 
confession, the second a prayer. The priest 
confesses his guilt first to the Almighty, who is 
offended by sin ; then to all the saints, that they 
may intercede for him and obtain for him the 
remission of his sins. Therefore he adds: "To 
the Blessed Mary ever virgin." He has not 
directly offended the Blessed Virgin, but by of- 
fending her Son he has also indirectly offended 
her; that is why he also confesses his sins to 
her. Then he names the great and mighty 
Archangel St. Michael, who has been appointed 
by God to guard our souls, particularly at the 
hour of death. He confesses his guilt also to St. 



64 The Beginning of Mass. 

John the Baptist, whom Jesus loved so well, and 
who w r as found worthy to be His precursor. St. 
John was the great preacher of penance for the 
remission of sins; the priest finds in him a 
mighty intercessor for the remission of his own 
sins. Then he confesses his sins " to the holy 
apostles Peter and Paul" — to St. Peter, to whom 
Christ intrusted the keys of the kingdom of 
heaven ; to St. Paul, the great Apostle of the 
Gentiles, who more than others labored for the 
conversion of the heathens. Certain religious 
Orders have the privilege of adding the name of 
their holy founder. The Benedictines add St. 
Benedict, the Franciscans St. Francis, the Do- 
minicans St. Dominic, etc. Finally, the priest 
directs his confession " to all the saints" and to 
all present; he acknowledges his sinfulness not 
only to those who are glorified in heaven, but 
also to all that are present with him. He does 
not rest satisfied by saying that he has sinned ; 
he adds also in what manner, viz. : " in thought, 
word, and deed." These are the three ways in 
which man sins. He confesses to have sinned 
"through his fault, through his fault, through 
his most grievous fault." To express with the 
publican of the Gospel his sentiments of sorrow 




COPYRIGHT 189S- SY BENZIGER BROTHERS. 



AT THE EPISTLE. 



The Beginning of Mass. 65 

and repentance, he strikes his breast three 
times, while he acknowledges to have sinned 
through his own fault. Desiring to go in to 
the altar of the Lord free of all stain, again 
he turns to all glorified creatures and all pres- 
ent, that they may intercede for him and obtain 
the full remission of his sins. The acolytes 
answer in the name of all present: "May Al- 
mighty God have mercy upon thee, forgive thee 
thy sins, and bring thee to life everlasting." The 
priest, profoundly inclined, answers: "Amen." 
The acolytes, representing the congregation, 
who also need the remission of their sins, in 
their turn and with the same words as the priest, 
for themselves and in the name of all present, 
confess their faults, not to the brethren, but to 
the priest, whom they call father: " And to you, 
father." No one is authorized to change any- 
thing that the Church has ordered for the cele- 
bration of Mass. In the Confiteor the acolytes 
say simply: "And to you, father," without any 
other explicatives, not even at the Pope's Mass. 
After the confession of the acolytes, the priest 
makes for them the same supplication they had 
made for him. They answer with the Hebrew 
word "Amen," expressing thereby the desire 
5 



66 The Beginning of Mass. 

that the wish may be realized. Then follows a 
benediction, whereby the priest begs for himself 
and his brethren absolution and remission of his 
sins, signing himself at the same time with the 
sign of the cross. 

After that the priest, bowing down again, but 
not so profoundly as for the Confiteor, says: 
"Thou wilt turn, O God, and bring us to life." 
The acolytes answer: "And Thy people shall 
rejoice in Thee." The priest continues: "Show 
us, O Lord, Thy mercy." The acolytes add: 
"And grant us Thy salvation." These verses 
are taken from Psalm lxxxiv., wherein David 
prays for a Messias to come. During Mass, 
before consecration, we expect the Saviour, just 
as the faithful of the Old Law before the Incar- 
nation expected the promised Redeemer. We 
pray God that He may send the One through 
whom salvation is to come. After that the priest 
prays that the Lord may graciously hear his 
prayer, and, before ascending the altar-steps to 
converse more intimately with God, he addresses 
to the people the wish which the Church has 
borrowed from St. Paul: "The Lord be with 
you." The acolytes in the name of all present 



The Beginning of Mass. 67 

reciprocate the same wish to the priest: "And 
with thy spirit/' Let us remark here that the 
priest repeats the same wish seven times during 
Mass, Some pious writers represent thereby the 
seven gifts of the Holy Ghost. 

At the moment of ascending the altar the priest, 
extending his hands and joining them again, 
says: "Let us pray." As often as these words 
occur during Mass, the same ceremony accom- 
panies them ; they are an invitation to prayer ; 
to pray, we extend our hands to God who is in 
heaven. In this attitude did our divine Saviour 
pray on the cross. In the prayer which the 
priest says while ascending the altar-steps, he 
speaks in the plural, because not he alone is to 
go in to the altar of the Lord ; the deacon and 
the subdeacon accompany and serve him. The 
dominating thought of the priest is still to 
purify himself more and more from his sins, in 
order to be worthy to enter into the Holy of 
Holies. If almost angelic purity was required 
from the high-priest in the Old Law, when he 
entered once a year into the Holy of Llolies, 
what purity will not be demanded of the priest 
under the New Dispensation, of which the Old 



68 The Beginning of Mass. 

Law was but the shadow? The nearer we come 
to God, the more we feel the least fault which 
stains the soul. 

Bowing down in the middle of the altar, the 
priest says the following prayer : " We pray 
Thee, O Lord, by the merits of Thy saints 
whose relics here repose and of all the saints, 
that Thou vouchsafest to forgive my sins. 
Amen." When he mentions the saints whose 
relics repose in the altar-stone, he kisses the 
altar as a token of respect to the relics of those 
saints. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

INCENSATION, INTROIT, AND KYRIE. 

The altar represents Jesus Christ, as we have 
remarked before. The relics of the saints, which 
repose on the altar, remind us that the saints are 
members of Christ. After having taken our 
human nature unto Himself, He not only drank 
the chalice of His passion, rose glorious, and 
entered into heaven; He also established His 
Church upon earth. He is the Head of that 
mystic body, and the saints are its members. 
Our blessed Lord, as such, is perfect only when 
accompanied by His saints- and therefore the 
saints, who are united with Him in glory, are 
also united with Him in the altar, which rep- 
resents Him. 

Having venerated the relics of the saints, the 
priest turns round, in a Solemn Mass, to bless 
the incense. There are two incensations during 
Mass. The first time the priest incenses the 
altar ; no prayer accompanies this incensation ; 



7o Incensation, Introit, and Kyrie. 

he incenses only the different parts of the altar, 
so that the altar be filled with a sweet odor. 
We learn from Holy Scripture that incense was 
in early use in the service of the Lord. In the 
Old Testament incense was a requisite to the 
sacrifice ; repeatedly does the word occur in the 
ceremonies prescribed for the different offerings, 
as can be seen in Leviticus. The three wise men 
were the first in the New Testament to use in- 
cense in the service of the Lord. Holy Scripture 
expressly mentions that they brought incense, 
gold, and myrrh to honor the new-born King of 
the Jews. The Church has borrowed the cere- 
mony of incensing from heaven, where St. John 
saw it practised. St. John in his Apocalypse 
(v. 8) saw round about the throne of the Almighty 
four-and-twenty ancients having every one of 
them golden vials full of odors, which are the 
prayers of saints. The Church, the faithful 
spouse of the Lamb, endeavors to imitate as 
much as possible upon earth the doings of 
the heavenly spirits, and, availing herself of 
the circumstance that the beloved disciple has 
lifted a part of the veil of the unsearchable 
mysteries, she incenses the altar, as the angels 
do in heaven. Incense is especially a figure 



Incensation, Introit, and Kyric. 71 

of prayer; the words quoted from the Apo- 
calypse indicate this. The priest at the altar 
offers to God the prayers of the faithful ; their 
prayers united with his ascend then to the 
throne of the Almighty. But prayer is pleas- 
ing to God only when it comes from a pure 
heart and is the expression of a holy life; only 
when prayer is united to a holy life does it 
spread before the Lord a sweet odor. Incense is 
a striking figure of that union. Thus we say of 
devout and truly religious people that they died 
in the odor of sanctity ; often also has God per- 
mitted that their sacred relics exhaled a sweet 
odor. Before the Introit, the altar and the 
priest only are incensed. First, the cross is in- 
censed, or the Blessed Sacrament if it be ex- 
posed; then the relics of the saints if there be 
any on the altar, then the whole altar, and, 
lastly, the priest. The altar represents the God- 
Man, the clouds of incense the Divinity, which 
is concealed from our eyes. These clouds, as 
on Sinai and in the desert, are at the same time 
a figure of the glory of the Lord. The priest at 
the altar is the representative of Christ; his 
heart must be like an altar on which the fire of 
divine love burns. . 



j 2 Incensation, Introit, mid Kyric. 

After the incensation the priest reads the 
Introit. The preceding prayers are a general 
preparation for Mass, and therefore they are 
always the same; the Introit, on the contrary, 
varies according to the different feasts of the 
ecclesiastical year; the Introit places in a few 
words the chief ideas of the same before the 
eyes of the faithful. At one time it transports 
our thoughts to heaven in company with the 
angels and the saints, then into purgatory with 
the suffering souls ; at another time it proposes 
the unfathomable depths of the divine mysteries, 
then again the different vicissitudes of human 
life. We add a few examples to illustrate this 
meaning. The Introit of the third Mass on 
Christmas-day reads : " A Child has been born 
to us, and a Son has been given us. He bears 
on His shoulders the sign of His power, and He 
shall be called Angel of the great council. ,, On 
Easter Sunday : " I am risen and I am still with 
Thee, alleluia. Thou hast extended Thy hand 
over me, alleluia; Thy wisdom has shown itself 
wonderfully, alleluia, alleluia. " On Pentecost: 
" The Spirit of the Lord hath filled the whole 
world, alleluia! and that which containeth all 
things hath knowledge of the voice, alleluia, alle- 



Inccnsatioii, Introit, and Kyric. 73 

luia, alleluia!" On Assumption Day: " Let us re- 
joice in the Lord, celebrating a feast-day in hon- 
or of the Blessed Mary ever Virgin, for whose 
Assumption the angels rejoice and glorify the 
Lord." In Masses for the dead the Introit is as 
follows: "Eternal rest give to them, O Lord, 
and let perpetual light shine upon them." We 
see from this that the Introit gives us in a few 
words the feeling which animates the Church, 
and is as a key to the different mysteries and 
feasts of the ecclesiastical year. On the Introit 
follows immediately a verse taken from the 
Psalms. Formerly the whole psalm was either 
said or sung, and closed with the small doxol- 
ogy: "Glory be to the Father," etc. At present 
the Church takes one verse or more, followed by 
the doxology, which, as a general rule, ends the 
Psalms. This thanksgiving to the Blessed Trin- 
ity is here well in place ; we profess thereby that 
the honor of the great action w T e are about to 
begin belongs to God alone. This joyful canti- 
cle is omitted in Masses for the dead and during 
passion time, for reasons already given. 

After the feast of the day has been solemnly 
announced in the Introit, what could be more nat- 
ural than for the soul to lift itself to the throne 



74 Incensation, Introit, and Kyrie. 

of the Almighty, that His mercy may make it 
worthy to assist with proper dispositions at the 
holy mysteries? On the Introit follows, there- 
fore, the Kyrie Eleison. This prayer is a cry for 
help, which the Church addresses to the Three 
Persons of the Blessed Trinity. The three first 
petitions are addressed to the Father, then three 
to the Son, and the last three to the Holy Ghost. 
The Kyrie Eleison shares with a few other Greek 
and Hebrew words, stich as Amen, Hosa7ina, Alle- 
luia, the privilege of being retained unchanged 
in the Latin missals. The Church has probably 
retained these words to show that the sacrifice of 
the New Law is one and the same for all nations. 
Latin, Greek, and Hebrew may be considered as 
the original languages from which the most of 
the other languages are derived ; a beautiful 
figure of the calling of all nations to the true 
Church, of which the unbloody sacrifice is the 
centre. The Church has also retained those 
three languages in memory of the inscription on 
the cross, which was written in those languages. 
It is probable that those words have remained 
unchanged because it was deemed impossible to 
give by a translation their full import. The 
Kyrie Eleison is a short but beautiful and power- 



Ince?isation, Intrott, and Kyrie, 75 

ful prayer. We read in the life of St. Basil that 
he gathered on one occasion the faithful into the 
church to pray for the unfortunate Theophile, 
who in writing had given body and soul to the 
devil. Theophile prayed to be freed from that 
cruel slavery and to recover that awful docu- 
ment; but the devil laughed at him. St. Basil 
ordered that those present should extend their 
hands to heaven and repeat continually: " Kyrie 
eleison, Christ e eleison, Kyrie eleison" until the 
devil should be forced to hand the writing to 
the saint. To us, poor pilgrims on earth, sur- 
rounded as we are by all sorts of dangers and 
trials, no prayer should be oftener on the lips 
than " Kyrie eleison' — " Lord, have mercy on us." 
Many saints, as St. Benedict in his Rule, call it 
simply, Litania snpplicatio, because it is the 
supplication by excellence. This short prayer 
seems to be the most efficacious of all prayers, 
and to do violence to the heart of God. What 
was it that induced the Lord to grant sight to 
the blind man of Jericho, deliverance to the 
daughter of the woman of Cana, and health to 
the ten lepers, if not that short supplication: 
" Kyrie eleison' — "Lord, have mercy on us"? It 
sounds so natural on the lips of one who is in 



76 Incensation, Introit, and Kyrie. 

danger or distress, and it expresses so well the 
sentiments of priests and faithful, when they 
consider their own unworthiness. Yet for this 
prayer to be efficacious, it should be said with 
the dispositions of the examples above men- 
tioned, that is, with faith, humility, and confi- 
dence. We must remark, besides, that addressing 
the Father and the Holy Ghost we use "Kyrie 
eleison" and invoking the Son, " Christ e eleison" 
Pope Innocent III. gives the reason: "If you 
ask me," he says, "why we do not say to the 
Son, Kyrie eleison, as to the Father and the Holy 
Ghost, I answer that in these there is but one 
and the same nature — the divine nature ; whereas 
in the Son there are two natures — the divine 
nature and the human, because He is true God 
and true Man; the word Christ expresses both. 
This supplication, thrice repeated to each of the 
Three Divine Persons, shows our relation to the 
nine choirs of angels, who in heaven, sing 
the praise of the Almighty, This union with 
the angels prepares us for the Angels' Canticle, 
which follows. 



CHAPTER IX. 



THE GLORIA AND THE COLLECTS. 

To intone the Gloria in excelsis Deo, the priest 
returns to the middle of the altar, extends his 
hands, and joins them again, while at the same 
time he makes an inclination to the cross or to 
the Blessed Sacrament, if it be exposed. Since 
the Gloria is a canticle of joy, it is omitted on 
days devoted to sorrow and penance, or which 
have not otherwise a festal character; also in 
Masses for the dead. The Gloria in Excelsis is 
generally called the Hymnns A ngelicas, or Angels' 
Canticle, because the angels intoned it at the 
birth of the Saviour, as the Gospel expressly 
mentions. When Jesus was born at Bethlehem 
shepherds in the neighborhood were keeping 
night-watches over their flocks, and behold! a 
heavenly messenger appears to them, probably 
the Archangel Gabriel, and brings to them the 
joyful tidings of the birth of the Messias. And 
suddenly there was with the angel a multitude 



78 The Gloria and the Collects. 

of the heavenly army, praising God and saying : 
" Glory to God in the highest; and on earth 
peace to men of good will." The sense of this 
canticle is: in the highest heavens, by the an- 
gelic choirs God is praised for giving His Son 
as Redeemer; and on earth is granted thereby 
reconciliation with God to mankind, the object 
of His good-will. This canticle is one of the 
oldest in the ecclesiastical liturgy. The first 
part of it is as old as Christianity. It is, how- 
ever, not known for certain who is the composer 
of the rest. Some ascribe it to St. Hilary, 
Bishop of Poitiers, who lived in the fourth cen- 
tury ; others to St. Telesphorus, who occupied the 
chair of St. Peter in the second century; others, 
again, believe that this canticle was introduced 
into the liturgy by the apostles themselves. In- 
spired by the same spirit, the Church continues 
to sing that sublime canticle of praise, the first 
words of which were sung by the angels. We 
add a short paraphrase of the Gloria : 

u Glory be to God in the highest, and on earth 
peace to men of good will." These are the words 
of the angels : Glory be to God and peace and 
blessing from the Lord to men who were before 
children of wrath. In the beginning of the canti- 



The Gloria and the Collects. 79 

cle the Church addresses God, without making 
distinction of persons; imitating the angels, she 
continues for a while in the same tone : " We 
praise Thee," because all praise belongs to Thee. 
"We bless Thee," that is, we offer to Thee our 
thanks, which we owe Thee for Thy benefits. 
"We adore Thee" for Thy infinite majesty. 
"We glorify Thee" because Thou hast created 
and redeemed us. " We give thanks to Thee 
because of Thy great glory." The question 
might be put here, why we give thanks to God; 
a thanksgiving supposes a benefit, which is not 
mentioned apparently in this verse. The words, 
however, "of Thy great glory," contain the mo- 
tives of our gratitude. God places His honor in 
doing good to us. The Incarnation is the great- 
est benefit which God bestowed on men; it is 
therefore His greatest glory. That is why the 
Church says : " We give thanks to Thee for Thy 
great glory." The praises of the Word Incar- 
nate glorify God more than all creation could. 
We thank God for it, because the Son of God 
became man for us. This exposition agrees 
with the doctrine of St. Paul (Rom. iii. 23): 
" All have sinned, and do need the glory of God." 
" O Lord God, heavenly King, God the Father 



80 The Gloria and the Collects. 

Almighty." The Church now directly addresses 
the Father. First she considered the unity of 
God, now the trinity of Persons, and, lifting up 
her voice to the First Person, who is the Source 
of the other two Persons, she exclaims : " God the 
Father Almighty. " Then she turns to her Bride- 
groom, to whom nearly all the rest of the canti- 
cle is devoted. She calls Him first, " Lord, the 
only-begotten Son," and she adds the name, 
which He as creature deserved, "Jesus Christ." 
But she does not forget that He is God; she 
affirms it expressly: "Lord God, Lamb of God, 
Son of the Father. ,, Yea! her Bridegroom is 
God ; He is also the Lamb of God, as St. John 
the Baptist called Him ; He is, besides, the Son 
of the eternal Father. In her enthusiasm the 
Church searches for the titles which she can ap- 
ply to her Bridegroom, and finds her delight in 
repeating them one after another. " Who takest 
away the sins of the world.'' Since Thou hast 
deigned to redeem us by Thy blood, now that 
Thou art exalted in glory do not abandon us, 
but "have mercy on us." The Church repeats 
once more : " Who takest aw r ay the sins of the 
world." If He, the Lamb of God and the Son 
of the Father, takes away our sins, what have we 



________ COPYRIGHT 1896- BY BENZIQER BROTHERS 

AT THE GOSPEL. 



The Gloria and the Collects. 81 

to fear? The Church understands this so well 
that she repeats it twice, first praying for mercy 
and then beseeching Him to lend a compassion- 
ate ear to the prayer of His spouse : " Hear our 
prayer." After the Church has considered her 
Bridegroom as the Lamb of God, who has taken 
upon Himself the sins of mankind, she climbs to 
the very heights of heaven, and sees Him who 
is the object of her love and praises seated at 
the right hand of the Father. There she vene- 
rates in God all holiness, all justice, all great- 
ness. Once more, however, she prays for mercy : 
" Thou who sittest at the right hand of the Father, 
have mercy on us." The Church then adds: 
" For thou only art holy. Thou only art the 
Lord, Thou only art most high, O Jesus Christ." 
All these fervent prayers and ejaculations are 
as so many bounds by which the Church hastens 
to her Bridegroom. After having carefully enu- 
merated His glorious prerogatives, she adds: 
"With the Holy Ghost in the glory of God 
the Father." Here mention is made of the 
Blessed Trinity, and while the priest says these 
words he makes on himself the sign of the cross, 
by which act we make an outward profession of 
our faith in the great mysteries of the Trinity 

6 



82 



The Gloria and the Collects. 



and the Incarnation. The praises which the 
Church sings to Christ apply equally to the two 
other Persons, for they also are holy, Lord, and 
most high. In this glorious, praise-laden can- 
ticle all is equally sublime and simple. 

After having recited the Gloria, the priest 
kisses the altar as a token of his union with Christ 
and the saints, whose relics repose on the altar. 
Then he turns around, slowly extends his hands, 
and joins them again, saying at the same time: 
"The Lord be with you." Once before he ex- 
pressed this wish to the acolytes, when at the foot 
of the altar he was preparing to ascend it ; then 
it meant only a farewell greeting to those who 
had prayed with him. This time the Church uses 
these words in another sense, viz., to excite the 
attention of the faithful to the prayer which fol- 
lows, wherein the priest offers the wishes and 
prayers of the congregation collectively. In- 
stead of " Dominus vobiscum" — " The Lord be with 
you, " the bishops say : " Peace be to you" — " Pax 
vobis." Most befitting are these words in the 
mouth of a bishop. On account of the fulness 
of power which he has received through the 
episcopal consecration, he represents, more per- 
fectly than the priest, Christ, who brought peace 



The Gloria and the Collects, 83 

on earth, and who after His glorious ascension 
left the same to His disciples, saying: "Peace 
be to you/' To the bishop in particular it be- 
longs to communicate to the faithful that peace 
which the world cannot give. The Pax vobis is 
a sequel to the Gloria, and is therefore replaced 
by the Dominus vobiscum in the Masses in which 
no Gloria is said. The Collect is still preceded 
by another short invitation to prayer: " Or emus" 
■ — " Let us pray/' which means : Let us pray with 
the Church and as much as possible in the 
church, because the common prayer, with the 
Church and in the church, is omnipotent with 
God, says St. John Chrysostom. The prayer 
which follows is called Collecta, from the Latin 
word colligere, to gather or to collect. The 
Church puts great stress on that prayer; she 
orders that it be said aloud and listened to by 
the faithful with attention. The canons in cathe- 
drals turn towards the altar, and in monasteries 
the monks make a profound inclination while 
the priest says or sings the Collect. The acolytes 
(at High Mass, the choir) answer "Amen," 
which means : Yes ! that is what we pray for and 
we cordially approve all that has been said. The 
priest says the Collect with extended arms, imi- 



84 The Gloria and the Collects. 

tating thereby the manner of praying of the first 
Christians. As Our Lord prayed on the cross 
with extended arms, so did the first Christians. 

The Collects, like the other prayers of Mass, 
generally begin in the name of the Father and 
are concluded in the name of the Son. The 
Church does what the Saviour expressly teaches : 
" If you ask the Father anything in My name, He 
will give it you" (John xvi. 23). The priest 
therefore prays that the desired favor may be 
granted " through Our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy 
Son," in whom the Father is well pleased and to 
whom He could not refuse a request, " and who 
liveth and reigneth with Thee in unity of the 
Holy Ghost, world without end." The faithful 
by the response "Amen" show that they share 
the sentiments expressed by the priest. To the 
Collect of the day are often added other prayers, 
either because that day is also the feast of other 
saints, or because on particular occasions they 
are prescribed by the Pope or the bishops, or be- 
cause on certain days this is left to the option of 
the priest. Yet in general these prayers must 
be uneven in number and not exceed seven. 
The uneven number signifies the indivisibility 
of the divine substance. One signifies the unity 



The Gloria and the Collects, 85 

of God ; three, the Blessed Trinity and the prayer 
of Jesus in the garden of Gethsemani, where He 
repeated three times the selfsame prayer; five, 
the five wounds of the Saviour; seven, the holy 
sacraments or the Lord's Prayer, in which by 
seven supplications we ask from God all we may 
desire. 



CHAPTER X. 

EPISTLE, GRADUAL, TRACT, AND SEQUENCE. 

In the preceding chapters it has been clearly 
shown that in the offering of holy Mass every- 
thing has a reason and is in order. The priest 
has now expressed the wishes and desires of the 
congregation, and presented them to God; the 
Church has spoken by his mouth. After a little 
while we will hear in the Gospel the word of the 
Master, but the Church prepares us for it by the 
word of the servant. That is why the Epistle 
comes first; the apostle or the prophet prepares 
us for the teaching of the Lord and Master. An 
epistle was read at divine service in the very first 
ages of Christianity. The apostles had been 
commissioned to spread the law of the Gospel 
over the whole earth ; their word had to pene- 
trate to the extreme limits thereof. This pre- 
vented them from taking up their abode in any 
one place. As soon as they had gained the in- 
habitants of a country to the true faith, they 



Epistle, Gradual, Tract, and Sequence. 87 

went elsewhere to win new disciples for Christ. 
In the mean time they did not forget those whom 
they had converted already; they corresponded 
with them by letter. Therein they replied to 
their questions, announced new points of doc- 
trine, refuted errors which might have crept in, 
endeavored to uproot abuses and excite the faith- 
ful to greater fervor. These letters were sent 
back and forth from one place to another. St. 
Paul orders this expressly in his Epistle to the 
Colossians (iv. 16) : " When this epistle shall have 
been read with you, cause that it be read also in 
the Church of the Laodiceans : and that you read 
that which is of the Laodiceans." The same 
apostle writes to the Thessalonians (1, v. 27) : "I 
charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read 
to all the holy brethren. " Although St. Paul 
does not clearly say that this reading had to take 
place during Mass, yet this may be deducted 
from the fact, as Cardinal Bona and Pope Bene- 
dict XIV. observe, that we do not read of any 
other gatherings of the faithful than for the cele- 
bration of the holy mysteries. We may then 
rightfully admit that the practice of reading a 
passage from the prophets or an epistle was in- 
troduced by the apostles themselves. Tertul- 



88 Epistle, Gradual, Tract, and Sequence. 

lian and St. Augustine testify that not only the 
letters of the apostles, but also passages from 
the Old Testament, in particular the writings of 
the prophets, were read. This reading was an 
instruction and had to comprehend both the Old 
and the New Testament. The Old was a figure 
of the New, and the New was the illustration 
and fulfilment of the Old. Our Saviour more 
than once quoted the testimony of the Old Tes- 
tament. The Epistle is always preceded by a 
few words which indicate that in the intention of 
the Church it is meant to be a reading ; for in- 
stance: " Reading of the Epistle of St. Paul to 
the Romans;" "Reading of the Prophet Isaias," 
etc. The Church selects for every day an epistle 
which closely refers to the feast of the day. It 
is easy to imagine how happy the first Chris- 
tians must have felt when they received a letter 
from one of the apostles in a distant country. 
The letter was read in the church, and all ex- 
pressed their contentment by a hearty " Deo gra- 
tias"—" Thanks be to God." The Church has 
preserved this beautiful custom; the acolyte, 
therefore, answers at the end of the Epistle, in the 
name of all present : " Deo gratias" — " Thanks be 
to God." At the gatherings of the first Chris- 



Epistle, Gradual, Tract, and Sequence. 89 

tians, the bishop charged one of the audience 
with the reading of the Epistle; this was the 
office of the subdeacon. After reading the Epis- 
tle the subdeacon presents the book closed to the 
priest ; the priest puts his hand on it, which the 
subdeacon kisses ; this signifies that Christ, whom 
the priest represents, is, according to St. John, 
the Lamb, to whom it is given to unseal the 
Book which contains His holy mysteries. 

On the Epistle follows the Gradual. The 
Gradual is composed of an antiphon and a verse, 
generally taken from the Psalms or from other 
places of Scripture; sometimes it is of ecclesi- 
astical composition. The Gradual is the most 
musical part of the office; and as it was difficult 
to sing, the singing of it was intrusted to two 
only. They sung it from a sort of marble pulpit, 
and it is on account of the steps which they had 
to ascend that this song is called Gradual. So we 
call Gradual Psalms those which the Jews sang 
when ascending the steps of the Temple. 

The Gradual is followed by the Alleluia or the 
Tract. Alleluia is repeated as an antiphon and 
followed by a verse, after which Alleluia is re- 
peated a third time. The Hebrew word Alleluia 
means " Let us praise the Lord." We must ob- 



90 Epistle, Gradual, Tract, and Sequence. 

serve, however, that the Hebrew word Alleluia 
had with the Hebrews a far wider signification 
than the Latin Laudate Denm conveys ; that is why 
the Church has deemed it advisable not to replace 
Alleluia by a Latin word. We read in the Apoc- 
alypse (chap, xix.) that Alleluia is one of the 
words which echo day and night in the celestial 
Jerusalem. This canticle of joy had to have its 
place in the holy sacrifice of Mass. It is omitted 
on days of penance from Septuagesima to Easter, 
and also in Masses for the dead. It is then re- 
placed by the Tract, which is so called because 
it is sung in a slow and mournful way ; for it is 
rather a canticle of penance than of joy. The 
Tract is composed of one or more verses, some- 
times even of a whole psalm, as, for instance, on 
the first Sunday of Lent ; these verses follow one 
another without repetition ; this is also probably 
a reason why it is called Tract. 

On a few great feast-days, and in Masses for the 
dead, the Alleluia or Tract is followed by the Se- 
quence. The Sequence dates back to about the ninth 
century. As its name indicates, the Sequence is 
a following of the preceding Alleluia or Tract, 
and consisted originally of notes without words. 
The idea must have been to express the in- 



Epistle, Gradual, Tract, and Sequence. 91 

ability of the language of poor mortals to render 
by words the happiness of the blessed. Later 
on words were adapted to the melody, the merits 
of which seem to be attributed to the renowned 
Benedictine, Notkerus of St. Gall, who was ap- 
pointed Bishop of Liege, and died in 912. By 
degrees all the great feasts of the year and the 
Sundays of Advent came to have their own Se- 
quence. After the reformation of the Roman 
Missal under Pope Pius V., only four were kept. 
The oldest and the model of all others is the 
Sequence of Easter — Victimcz PascJiali — a sweet 
melodrama, which in inimitable simplicity and 
natural beauty expresses the joy of Magdalen 
and of the faithful. Next is the Sequence of 
Pentecost — Veni Sancte Spiritus (Come, Holy 
Ghost) — a beautiful canticle, which could have 
been composed only by a heart wholly burning 
with the fire of the Holy Ghost. The whole 
canticle is a chain of pious supplications to the 
Holy Ghost, wherein on the one hand His sancti- 
fying influence is depicted in vivid colors, and 
on the other hand the different necessities of our 
earthly pilgrimage are clearly and simply ex- 
pressed. The third Sequence is the one of Cor- 
pus Christi— Lauda Sion Salvatorem (Praise, O 



92 Epistle \ Gradual, Tract, and Sequence. 

Sion, thy Saviour) — composed by the Angelic 
Doctor, St. Thomas Aquinas. The sublimity 
of thought competes with the loveliness and ele- 
gance of form. The last Sequence which Pius 
V. kept in the Roman Missal is the Dies Irce (Day 
of Wrath). Nothing can be more impressive 
than the Dies Irse in its sublime simplicity. 
The soul seems to hear therein the trumpet of 
the Last Judgment. As far as contents and 
form are concerned, this canticle is a perfect 
masterpiece. It is, in the opinion of great poets, 
the highest point that human intelligence ever 
reached in poetry. Subsequently another Se- 
quence was added to the four authorized by Pius 
V., that of the Seven Dolors of the Blessed Vir- 
gin— Stabat Mater — wherein the Church in touch- 
ing terms depicts the sorrows of the Virgin 
Mother under the cross of her Son on Calvary. 
A few religious Orders have, in addition to the 
above, a proper Sequence for the feast of their 
holy founders. 



CHAPTER XL 



THE GOSPEL. 

After the priest has said the Alleluia, Tract, 
or Sequence, the missal is taken to the other side 
of the altar for a twofold reason. In the begin- 
ning of Christianity the faithful offered the bread 
and wine for the sacrifice. Before the Offertory 
these were placed on the altar on the epistle side ; 
this made it necessary that the missal should be 
taken to the other side. Although this custom 
has been discontinued, the rubric has remained 
of removing the book before the Gospel. But 
there is another symbolic reason for it. By the 
epistle side are represented the Jews, by the gos- 
pel side the Christians. The epistle is read on 
the left side of the altar, because the word of 
God had been intrusted first to the Jews; the 
book is then carried over to the other side to 
signify that the light of faith has passed from 
the Jews to the Gentiles. At the end of Mass 
the book is again taken over to the epistle side, 



94 The Gospel, 

because at the end of the world the Jewish peo- 
ple will be enlightened and recognize Christ as 
the true Messias. When treating of the altar 
we observed that, according to the ordinances of 
the Church, the altar should be, when possible, 
turned to the east; the epistle side is conse- 
quently to the south and the gospel side to the 
north. This proves that the mystic significa- 
tion which we attributed to that rubric is the 
true one, for in the cold dark north has the 
prince of darkness fixed his throne (Is. xiv. 13). 
From the north shall an evil break forth upon 
all the inhabitants of the land (Jerem. i. 14). 
This applies to the unconverted heathens, not 
to those who embraced Christianity. 

While the missal is being carried over, the 
priest goes to the middle of the altar, and, bow- 
ing down profoundly, he addresses to God the 
following prayer: " Purify my heart and my lips, 
Almighty God, Thou who hast purified with a 
burning coal the lips of the Prophet Isaias ; vouch- 
safe in Thy kind mercy so to purify me that I may 
worthily announce Thy holy Gospel. Through 
Christ Our Lord. Amen." In this prayer the 
Church, alludes to a vision of the Prophet Isaias 
(vi.1-8). "In the year that King Ozias died," he 



The Gospel, 95 

says, "I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne high 
and elevated: and His train filled the Temple. 
Upon it stood the seraphim : . . . And they cried 
one to another and said: Holy, holy, holy, the 
Lord God of hosts, all the earth is full of His 
glory. . . . And I said: Wo is me, because I 
have held my peace, because I am a man of unclean 
lips. . . . And one of the seraphim flew to me, and 
in his hand was a live coal, which he had taken 
with the tongs off the altar. And he touched my 
mouth and said: Behold, this hath touched thy 
lips, and thy iniquities shall be taken away, and 
thy sin shall be cleansed. And I heard the 
voice of. the Lord saying: Whom shall I send, 
and who shall go for us? And I said: Lo, here 
am I, send me/' What a beautiful figure of the 
true preacher of the Gospel in the New Testa- 
ment! This explains why the priest addresses 
himself so humbly to God in that prayer, be- 
cause God alone can in a supernatural way make 
weak man worthy to announce His Gospel. 

After this prayer the priest asks God's blessing, 
saying: "Vouchsafe, O Lord, to bless me," and, 
expressing the blessing he prays for, he says: 
" The Lord be in my heart and on my lips that I 
may worthily and lawfully announce His Gospel. 



g6 The Gospel. 

Amen." The priest then proceeds to the gospel 
side and says: "The Lord be with you;" he 
does not turn around to the people, because he 
is partly turned to the congregation. The read- 
ing of the Gospel is preceded by this wish, to ex- 
press that the word of God will never bear fruit 
in a soul except by God's blessing. Then the 
priest announces to the people from what evan- 
gelist the Gospel of the day is taken : " Begin- 
ning [or Sequence] of the Holy Gospel according 
to St. N." He adds the name of the evangelist 
to draw the closer attention of the faithful to it. 

While the priest says these words, he makes 
with the thumb the sign of the cross on the first 
words of the Gospel, to signify that the Gospel or 
the teaching of Christ receives from the mystery 
of the cross the power whereby it converts the 
world, and also that the words of the Gospel are 
the words of Him who died on the cross. The 
priest then also makes the sign of the cross upon 
his forehead, upon his mouth, and upon his 
breast. Upon his forehead, to show that he 
must never be ashamed to profess the teaching 
of Christ, for he knows that " he who shall be 
ashamed of Me and of My words, of him the Son 
of man shall be ashamed" (Luke ix. 26). Upon 




COPYRIGHT- 189S- BY BENZIGER- BROTHERS 



AT THE DOMINUS VOBISCUM BEFORE THE OFFERTORY. 



The Gospel. 97 

his mouth, to signify that he is prepared to con- 
fess the word of Christ courageously, that is, to 
preach, with St. Paul, Jesus crucified. "Every 
one that shall confess Me before men, I will also 
confess him before my Father who is in heaven" 
(Matt. x. 32). Upon his breast, to show that this 
exterior confession echoes his interior disposi- 
tion, "for with the heart we believe unto jus- 
tice" (Rom. x. 10). While the Gospel is said or 
sung, the priest and the faithful always stand. 
This practice is of the oldest antiquity, and 
shows the respect which we should have for the 
word of God. We read in the Old Testament 
that when Esdras read the law to the people, he 
and all the people stood (2 Esdr. viii.). St. Luke 
relates that, according to His custom, our divine 
Saviour went into the synagogue on the Sabbath 
day; and He rose up to read (Luke iv. 16). And 
when He had folded the book He restored it to 
the minister and sat down. St. Benedict pre- 
scribes in his Rule that when the abbot at Ma- 
tins reads the Gospel all should stand, as a token 
of respect. After the priest has concluded the 
reading of the Gospel, the acolytes answer in the 
name of all present: "Praise be to Thee, O 

Christ," by which we tender to God our grateful 
7 



98 The Gospel. 

thanks for the instruction imparted to us. The 
priest, in token of love and respect for the word 
of God, kisses the first words of the Gospel, say- 
ing at the same time : " By the words of the Gos- 
pel may our sins be blotted out," viz., our venial 
sins, for the remission of which the attrition of 
the heart is sufficient. 

These ceremonies take place at every Low Mass ; 
we must add a few particulars regarding Solemn 
Mass. In a Solemn Mass, after the singing of 
the Epistle, the deacon takes the book of the 
Gospels and places it on the altar. This is 
meant to signify that the sacrifice of the New 
Law is intimately connected with the Gospel and 
that the one will never be without the other; 
where the Gospel is preached there also will the 
sacrifice be offered to God, and vice versa. The 
priest then blesses the incense; it belongs to 
him to bless and sanctify material things for the 
service of God. The deacon, kneeling and pro- 
foundly bowing down, says the prayer: " Purify 
my heart," etc.; after that he takes the Gos- 
pel-book from the altar. The altar represents 
Christ; He is the Head of the Catholic or Uni- 
versal Church; to her He has intrusted His 
word; to her it belongs to give us the true 



The Gospel. 99 

interpretation of it. With the Gospel-book in his 
hands the deacon kneels before the priest, asks 
his blessing,, and kisses his hand to show that 
nobody should take to himself the honor to 
preach the word of God unless called and sent 
by Him whom the priest represents and whose 
doctrine he is to announce. The deacon, pre- 
ceded by three acolytes, two with lighted can- 
dles and the third carrying the censer, proceeds 
to the place where the Gospel is to be sung. 
Thereby is represented that Christ sent two of 
His disciples to every place which He was Him- 
self to visit, and where by the light of miracles 
and the sweet odor of virtues they were to pre- 
pare the way for the Lord. After the Gospel 
the subdeacon carries the book open to the 
priest, in whose name the deacon sung the Gos- 
pel; after that the deacon incenses him. The 
priest is the interpreter of the infallible teaching 
of the Church, he is the lawful minister of the 
word of God ; that is why this solemn token of 
respect is given to him here. 



CHAPTER XII. 



THE CREDO. 

That part of Mass which we have explained 
in the preceding chapters was formerly called 
the "Mass of the catechumens ;" the catechu- 
mens, the public penitents, and the possessed 
were allowed to assist at it. After the Gospel or 
the sermon all these had to leave the church; 
the doors were closed, and then began the " Mass 
of the faithful." In consequence of the general 
spreading of Christianity and the discontinuation 
of public penances, that distinction has lost much 
of its meaning. The Mass proper of the faith- 
ful begins with the Credo. The Credo is a pro- 
fession of faith which very properly follows the 
Gospel, since our faith is grounded on the infal- 
lible word of God. The Credo is said on all the 
Sundays of the year; on the feast-days of the 
apostles, who preached the faith ; on the feasts 
of the doctors, who illustrated it by their writ- 
ings; on the feast of St. Mary Magdalen, who 



The Credo. 



IOI 



first of all believed in the .Resurrection. an= 
nounced it to the apostles, and was an apostle to 
the apostles themselves; on the feasts of the 
holy angels, because the words, ''Creator of all 
things invisible" apply to them; on the feasts of 
the Blessed Virgin, because the Credo more than 
once mentions her. The Credo is said besides 
on the feast of the dedication of a church and 
of patron saints, because it is supposed that on 
those days there is a great concourse of people. 
For the same reason the Credo is also said on the 
feast of a saint of whom the church in which 
Mass is said possesses a great relic. 

The profession of faith said at Mass is not the 
one of the apostles, but the one of Nice, or, more 
correctly, of Nice and Constantinople, because 
the words regarding the Holy Ghost were in- 
serted in the first Council of Constantinople 
against Macedonius. Up to the eleventh cen- 
tury the Credo was not, apparently, said so gen- 
erally nor so solemnly in the Roman Church. 
St. Henry, Emperor of Germany, during his stay 
in Rome, expressed his astonishment at this to 
Pope Benedict VIII. The Pope explained to 
him that the Roman Church, unstained as it was 
by heresy, had not to repeat so often the pro- 



102 



The Credo. 



fession of faith, showing thereby the purity of 
her faith. After more mature consideration, 
however, upon the remark passed by the holy 
emperor, it was decided that the Credo should 
be said on Sundays in the Roman Church, and, 
to add more solemnity to the profession, the an- 
nouncement should be from the chair of St. 
Peter. 

The profession of faith of Nice is more explicit 
than the one of the apostles, although the latter 
contains all the fundamental truths of religion. 
Subsequently, as heresies arose, it was deemed 
necessary to amplify the points attacked, and 
thus error was crushed as it appeared. We add 
a short explanation of the different articles of 
faith proposed in the Credo. 

"I believe in one God." — The apostles did not 
add the word one, because it was not thought 
necessary in their days. It was added in the 
Ecumenical Council of Nice against the Arians, 
to affirm the divine unity of essence and trinity 
of persons. Why do we say, " I believe in God," 
and not rather " I believe God" ? Why the prepo- 
sition in ? It is very important. Faith is a mo- 
tion of the soul to God ; faith united to charity, 
which is the only faith that will avail us to life 



The Credo. 103 

eternal, tends of its nature to God. We may 
know God in two ways. A man, for instance, 
considering the component parts of the universe, 
— the earth, with an infinite variety of plants, 
the firmament with its innumerable stars — at 
the consideration of all these wonders arranged 
with so much order and perfection, is forced 
to confess that some one created all this; he 
calls it a reasonable truth. Were he to think 
otherwise he would show that he resembles ir- 
rational creation. This is called knowing God 
by reason. But to believe in God, inasmuch as 
He is triune in person, it is necessary that He 
reveal it to us and that we accept His word 
by faith. God proposes to me a truth by the in- 
strumentality of His Church ; I renounce imme- 
diately my own judgment, and accept as truth 
what He deigns to reveal. In this manner we 
believe in God. 

" Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things 
visible and invisible." — There are heretics who 
dare assert that the creation of all things visible 
must not be ascribed to God ; they pretend that 
the world owes its existence to itself. We con- 
demn with the Council of Nice that absurd doc- 
trine by acknowledging God creator of heaven 



io4 The Credo. 

and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. 
We profess thereby also our belief in the crea- 
tion of the angels, who are invisible yet substan- 
tial beings. 

"And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-be- 
gotten Son of God/' — The word one is necessary 
here for the reason that we believe in one, not 
in two sons. The divine and human natures in 
Christ do not form two persons. Christ is but 
one person, the only-begotten Son of God. Why 
does the Church call Him Lord, which title she 
did not add when speaking of the Father? It is 
because we belong to Christ in a particular way. 
He has created us in union with the Father, who 
created all by His word (John i.). We belong 
to Him because He has redeemed us by His 
blood, and freed us from the slavery of Satan ; 
we are His in more respects than one. Reason 
itself could not teach us that in God there is one 
Father and one Son ; to know this it was neces- 
sary that we should see God as He is, or that 
He reveal Himself to us. As we believe in one 
Father, so do we believe in one Son. 

"And born of the Father before all ages." — 
Time begins with creation ; without time there 
can be no ages, and without the existence of 



The Credo. 105 

created beings no time. Before all ages, before 
anything had been created, is the Son. The cre- 
ated world also comes forth from God, but is not 
for this reason God. The Son of God, on the 
contrary, born of the Father, is like to the Father, 
so that all that is said of the Father may also be 
applied to the Son, with the exception of His 
divine paternity only ; the Son is one in essence 
with the Father. But how can the Son have the 
same substance as the Father, without change to 
the latter? St. Athanasius explains the difficulty 
by a striking comparison. As a candle, he says, 
taking its light from another candle of the same 
sort, does not alter the latter, so also the Son, by 
taking His substance from the Father, does not 
alter this divine substance, which He has in com- 
mon with the Father, for He is truly and indeed 
"God of God, Light of Light, true God of true 
God." 

" Begotten, not made." — All human beings are 
made ; we are the work of God ; the angels, and 
even the Blessed Virgin, are no exceptions. The 
Son of God is begotten, not made. When speak- 
ing of God, we must not lose sight of the distinc- 
tion of persons and the unity of substance. The 
Saviour Himself has said : " I and the Father are 



io6 



The Credo. 



one;" they are one and the same, only differing 
in person, which distinction is expressed by Fa- 
ther, Son, and Holy Ghost. The Council of Nice 
expresses that unity of nature and substance by 
consubstantial with the Father." 
" By whom all things were made." — In the be- 
ginning of the Credo it is said that God created 
heaven and earth and all things ; when speaking 
of the Son, it is said that all things are made by 
Him. How can these agree? A comparison ex- 
plains it. Three different faculties are required 
by the soul for her different operations, viz., 
power, intelligence, and will. By her power the 
soul operates ; but this action presupposes intel- 
ligence and will. So has God the Almighty 
Father created all in His omnipotence. He has 
created all with intelligence by the Son, in union 
with His will by the Holy Ghost ; thereby is the 
action complete. Therefore we justly say, when 
speaking of the Son : " By whom all things were 
made." 

" Who for us men and for our salvation came 
down from heaven." — The Second Person of the 
Blessed Trinity came upon earth not only for 
men, but to redeem men from eternal grief; in 
other words, to work out their salvation. There- 



The Credo. 107 

fore He came down from heaven, without, how- 
ever, leaving the Father and the Holy Ghost, 
without depriving Himself of the blessedness of 
the divinity. He has united to Himself human- 
ity, and in His sacred humanity He endured all 
the sufferings which men can endure. He came 
down from heaven to conceal Himself in a creat- 
ure, to live among us, to converse with us, and 
to subject Himself to the exigencies of human 
nature. 

"And became incarnate by the Holy Ghost," 
that is, by the operation of the Holy Ghost. 
God has created all things, and we have seen 
what part the Three Divine Persons have taken 
in the creation. In the mystery of the Incarna- 
tion all Three Divine Persons co-operate. The 
Father sends His Son ; the Son comes down from 
heaven, and the Holy Ghost works this sublime 
wonder. 

"Of the Virgin Mary." — -Let us well consider 
those words. Mary gave Him the substance of 
His human being, of that being which is per- 
sonal to Him. There is in Christ but one person, 
and consequently Mary is the Mother of God. 
How pure must the ever-blessed Virgin have 
been to be found worthy of becoming the Mother 



io8 The Credo. 

of God ! The Word would not unite Himself to a 
human creature which had been taken from 
nothingness, but wished to belong to the race 
of Adam. Therefore He assumed human na- 
ture in the womb and of the substance of 
Mary, who suffered no detriment thereby to 
her virginity. 

"And was made man." — The Word of God 
not only assumed the likeness of man, but was 
made man indeed. These sublime words ex- 
press the union of the divinity with humanity. 
The priest kneels when he pronounces these 
words, showing thereby his profound respect for 
the mystery of the Incarnation. 

" He was crucified also for us, suffered under 
Pontius Pilate, and was buried/' — " The Apostles' 
Creed " contains the same words. They did not 
content themselves by saying that He died for 
us, because it was important that all should ever 
have before the eyes of their mind the victory of 
the cross over Satan. As we had been lost by 
the tree, or rather the fruit thereof, so also does 
our salvation come from the tree of the cross. 
The cunning of the enemy had to be confounded 
by itself ; the remedy had to be provided from 
the source whence the devil had taken his deadly 



The Credo. 109 

poison, as the Church so beautifully expresses 
it in the hymn " Vexilla Regis." The apostles, 
therefore, expressly added of what death the 
Saviour of mankind died ; they glorified in know- 
ing and preaching nothing but Jesus crucified. 
As Jesus came down from heaven for us, so also 
He was crucified for us. The name is given of 
the Roman governor during whose administra- 
tion He suffered, to give us the time when that 
great mystery of God's love to man was accom- 
plished. Christ suffered and died, and was also 
to be buried ; for how otherwise could His proph- 
ecy be fulfilled that He would rise again the third 
day? The burial had to prove that His was not 
an apparent death, but a real death. 

" And the third day He rose again according 
to the Scriptures." — Jonas in particular had fore- 
told it. The Saviour Himself had said: "This 
wicked generation asks a sign, and no other sign 
shall be given it than the sign of the prophet 
Jonas, For even as Jonas had been three days 
and three nights in the belly of the whale, so 
would the Son of man remain part of three days 
in the bosom of the earth." 

"And ascended into heaven." — The Word of 
God came upon earth to assume human nature, 



no 



The Credo. 



but did not leave for that the happiness of 
heaven. When we say that He ascended into 
heaven, this must be understood of his sacred 
humanity. 

"Sitteth at the right hand of the Father/' as 
Lord and Master with the Father. This honor 
belonged to Him from all eternity as God. These 
words then indicate that the same honor is due 
to His human nature. So it had to be, since the 
human nature is united to the divine nature in 
the same person. 

" And He is to come again with glory to judge 
the living and the dead/' — In regard to Our 
Lord, Holy Scripture speaks of two comings. 
In the first He appears without glory ; " He 
emptied Himself," as St. Paul expresses it (Phil, 
ii. 7), "taking the form of a servant." In His 
second coming He will appear with great maj- 
esty and glory, not as Redeemer, but as a se- 
vere Judge. He will come to judge not only 
those who lived upon earth immediately before 
the general destruction, but also those who died 
since the beginning of the world, because all 
without exception shall be judged. 

" Of whose kingdom there shall be no end." 
. — This refers to the kingdom of Christ in His 



The Credo. 



in 



humanity, for in His divinity He has never 
ceased to reign. 

" And in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Life- 
giver. " — The Holy Ghost is Lord, like the two 
other persons of the Blessed Trinity; but He is 
called in particular Life-giver. Even as the soul 
gives life to the body, so does the Holy Ghost 
give life to the soul. By sanctifying grace, 
which He infuses into her, He enlivens her, sup- 
ports her, and enables her to grow in love. The 
working, however, of the Life-giver shines forth 
with greater brilliancy in the Church. He sup- 
ports her, and makes all her members, however 
different in race, language, and customs, live of 
the same life, and belong to the same mystic 
body, of which Christ is the Head. 

" Who proceedeth from the Father and the 
Son." — In the Council of Nice the Fathers only 
discussed the doctrinal articles concerning Jesus 
Christ. The Council of Constantinople decided 
to perfect the Nicene Creed by adding what re- 
gards the Holy Ghost, except the " Filioque" — 
u and from the Son." The Fathers of that coun- 
cil thought it sufficient to say : " Who proceedeth 
from the Father." In their estimation no future 
heretic could call into doubt the fact that the 



112 



The Credo. 



Holy Ghost proceeded also from the Son, since 
He Himself had promised to His apostles before 
His ascension that He would send them the 
Holy Ghost. But the Greeks subsequently con- 
tested that truth, and, by denying that the Holy 
Ghost proceeded from the Son, they had to deny 
also, if they did not wish to contradict them- 
selves openly, all faith in the mystery of the 
Holy Trinity. The Blessed Trinity is united in 
the Three Divine Persons in the following man- 
ner : The First Person engenders the Second ; the 
First and the Second are united by the Third. 
To deny that union is to deny the whole mys- 
tery. To take away all occasion for doubt the 
" Filioque" (" and the Son") was added to the Ni- 
cene Creed in the eighth century. 

" Who together with the Father and the Son 
is adored and glorified." — The true faith de- 
mands of us that we not only honor the Holy 
Ghost, but adore Him, as we adore the Father 
and the Son. The Church directs that we bow 
the head when pronouncing these words, to pay 
our homage to the Holy Ghost, whose divinity 
we profess. Inseparable from the Father and 
the Son, the Holy Ghost is glorified with them. 

"Who spoke by the prophets."— The Church 




COPYRIGHT -1896 -BY BENZIGER BROTHERS- 



AT THE OFFERING OF THE HOST. 



f 



The Credo. 113 

has added this article to her profession of faith 
to confound the Marcionites, who imagined that 
there was a good and a bad God. According to 
them, the God of the Jews was not the good one. 
The Church by declaring that the Holy Ghost 
has spoken by the prophets, from Moses to the 
last of them, professes that the influence of the 
Holy Ghost has made itself felt on earth from 
the very beginning. On Pentecost day He came 
dow r n upon the apostles, and He came upon 
earth to abide permanently ; because His mission 
is different from that of the Saviour. The Word 
Incarnate came upon earth, but in the course of 
time ascended again into heaven. The Holy 
Ghost came to stay, as the Saviour Himself tes- 
tifies when He says to His apostles : " He, the 
Father, will send you the Holy Ghost, that He 
may remain with you forever." The Church has 
to be taught, guided, and directed. According 
to the Saviour's word, the Holy Ghost will as- 
sist her to the end of time. After having pro- 
posed to us the principal points which we are 
to believe regarding the Blessed Trinity, the 
Creed adds another article, which is to confirm 
our faith in all that precedes. 

"And one Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic 
8 



ii4 The Credo, 

Church."-— -The reader will observe that we do 
not say, " I believe in a Church," as we said, " I 
believe in one God." The faith which has God 
for its immediate object is a motion of the soul 
to God; but all other objects which refer to God, 
and tend to lead us to Him, we simply believe. 
To preclude all doubt regarding the true Church 
of Christ, four marks are added to distinguish 
her from all others. She is one ; that is, a moral 
body, whose members at all times and in all 
places profess the same faith, are governed by 
the same Head, and whose union is cemented 
by the same sacraments and the same sacrifice. 
She is holy; that is, without spot or wrinkle; 
outside her communion are no saints, and she is 
never without saints. Being holy, she cannot 
teach anything but the truth. The Church is 
catholic; that is, universal or spread over the 
whole world, and continuing in existence until 
the end of time. Finally, the Church is apos- 
tolic; that is, she originated from Jesus Christ 
Himself ; she did not suddenly begin to exist in 
the course of time, as the so-called Reformers of 
the sixteenth century pretended. To be the true 
Church of Christ, she must, without any miss- 
ing links, ascend to the apostles and through 



The Credo. 115 

the apostles to Jesus Christ Himself. These are 
the four distinctive marks of that divine institu- 
tion which is called the Catholic Church. 

" I confess one baptism for the remission of 
sins." — The Church makes us believe and pro- 
fess that there is but one baptism, as there is 
but one God and one faith. Baptism makes 
us children of God; it infuses into us sancti- 
fying grace, whereby the Holy Ghost comes to 
abide in us. Should man afterwards have the 
misfortune of losing that grace, it may be re- 
stored to him by absolution, which reconciles 
him with God. 

"And I look for the resurrection of the dead." 
— The Church does not say : " I believe the resur- 
rection of the dead," but " I expect, I look for." A 
Christian should look with eagerness for the day 
of resurrection, because the reunion of body and 
soul is required for our perfect happiness. It 
would be hard for a heathen to take this view, 
but for a Christian it is a dogma of faith, which 
supports and cheers him in this valley of tears. 

"And the life of the world to come," that is, I 
expect a life which no longer shall be subject to 
death. On earth we live by the life of grace, 
supported by faith, hope, and charity, but we do 



1x6 



The Credo. 



not see God. In the heavenly glory we will en- 
joy Him and see Him face to face. Moreover, 
during our earthly pilgrimage we are exposed 
to the danger of losing grace ; in heaven there 
is no such fear ; there we shall possess whatever 
may fully satisfy all our desires, because we shall 
possess God Himself. We have therefore every 
reason to say with the Church : " I look for the 
life of the world to come." When pronouncing 
these words the priest makes the sign of the 
cross, to put us in mind that it is impossible for 
us to enter that life but by the way of the cross. 

As a sign of acceptance on our part of all that 
has been proposed to us in the Creed, we add, 
" Amen." 



CHAPTER XIII. 



THE OFFERTORY. 

After reading the Creed, the priest kisses the 
altar, and turning towards the people says : " The 
Lord be with 7011," to which the usual response 
is given: "And with thy spirit/' The priest 
kisses the altar to extend to the faithful the kiss 
of Christ, who is represented by the altar. By 
the wish which he directs to the people seems 
to be meant in a particular manner the love and 
harmony among themselves in Christ. Since 
here commences the offering proper, the faithful 
are reminded that in order to be partakers of 
the salutary effects of this offering they should 
leave their offering and be first reconciled with 
their brother, in case he has anything against 
them (Matt. v. 23). The priest then admon- 
ishes the faithful to renew their attention, that 
their prayers united to his may from the altar 
ascend to the throne of the Almighty. " Let us 
pray." Upon that follows an antiphon, called 



n8 The Offertory. 

Offertorium, which, like the Introit and Post-Com- 
munion, has reference to the feast of the day. To 
understand this we must return to the first ages 
of Christianity. From the time of the apostles 
the faithful, who received holy communion dur- 
ing Mass, or simply assisted at it, brought their 
gifts. For the rich, this was a duty of honor; 
the poor were not required to give, they were 
supported by the Church. The best wine and 
the finest bread were selected for the sacrifice 
and placed upon the altar. The Christians, how- 
ever, in addition to that offered whatever might 
be necessary for the service of the Church : the 
first fruits of the field, oil, incense, flowers, wax, 
etc. What the Church did not need was dis- 
tributed to the poor or contributed to the support 
of her ministers. The only vestige left of this 
ancient custom is found in a solemn funeral, and 
in the consecration of a bishop or the benediction 
of an abbot. That custom of the first Christians 
is an unanswerable refutation of an error com- 
mon nowadays with a number of hypocrites. 
According to them the churches are too rich, 
and should be reduced to the true apostolic pov- 
erty. Acting upon this principle, praiseworthy 
would those governments be which contribute to 



The Offertory. 119 

that purpose by confiscating Church property and 
directly or indirectly endeavoring to cripple the 
Church in temporal matters. We could reply to 
those zealous hypocrites that it is unnecessary to 
return to the first ages of Christianity to find 
apostolic poverty; we meet it in many a mon- 
astery, in many a church, in many a pastoral 
residence; it is unnecessary to go in search of 
it to mission countries. They would have us 
believe that the apostles and the priests lived 
on the heavenly dew. Did those magnificent 
churches and chapels arise by themselves ? Did 
Heaven directly provide them with vestments and 
decorations for the altar? Whence came the rich 
possessions of some churches, as, for instance, of 
the Church at Antioch? How could the priests 
provide for the wants of the poor? The liberal 
generosity of the first Christians is the best reply. 
The apostles and priests were poor for them- 
selves, but they disposed of the property of the 
whole community. Would to God that the fault- 
finders of to-day followed the example of the 
early Christians ! 

Let us return now to the ceremonies of the 
Offertory. Formerly the antiphon and verses 
from the Psalms were sung alternately, as long 



i2o The Offertory. 

as the offering lasted ; since the offering of pri- 
vate gifts was discontinued, the antiphon only 
has been retained, and is called Offertorium. 
After the priest has read the Offertory, the dea- 
con presents him the paten with the Host placed 
thereon. The deacon has no power to conse- 
crate, but he is allowed to touch the sacred spe- 
cies and distribute holy communion to the faith- 
ful. Before proceeding further, we must in a 
few words answer a very important question, 
viz., why Our Lord has chosen bread and wine 
for the material elements of the unbloody sacri- 
fice of the New Law. Our Lord was of course 
free to select other elements; there are, how- 
ever, reasons which make this choice intelligible 
to our weak understanding. In the first place, 
the prophecies and figures of the Old Law had 
to be fulfilled in the New. Melchisedech had 
offered bread and wine; Christ, as David fore- 
told, was to be a priest according to the order 
of Melchisedech (Ps. cix. 4). This prophecy 
would not have been fulfilled had Christ not 
deigned to offer Himself under these visible ele- 
ments. Secondly, Our Lord selected bread and 
wine on account of the relation which these bear 
to human life, thereby clearly to express the 



The Offertory. 121 

effects of the sacrament in our soul. Bread, and 
wine are the noblest products of nature and of 
human industry; they are at the same time the 
simplest and best food. David, greatest of many 
great poets, who in the sublimest terms chanted 
the gifts of God, expresses in a few words their 
excellence. "Thou waterest the hills from Thy 
upper rooms: . . . that Thou mayest bring 
bread out of the earth, and that wine may cheer 
the heart of man. . . . And that bread may 
strengthen man's heart" (Ps. ciii. 13-15). 
Thirdly, bread and wine are striking figures 
of the union of the faithful with Christ and of 
the faithful among themselves. Many grains of 
wheat make one loaf of bread, many grapes one 
drink, many faithful one moral body, of which 
Christ is the Head; He is the heavenly Vine, 
without whose influence the branches would 
wither and die. " For we, being many, are one 
bread, one body, all that partake of one bread" 
(1 Cor. x. 17). By these words St. Paul inti- 
mates that the Holy Eucharist is a communion 
with the body of the Lord ; the use of it unites 
us to a moral body, and should effect that we, 
like the first Christians, be but one heart and 
one soul. The sacrificial elements are meant to 



122 The Offertory. 

place before the eyes of our mind that twofold 
union. 

We will now consider a few ordinances of the 
Church regarding these elements. First, the 
priests of the Latin Church are in conscience 
obliged to use unleavened bread for the sacrifice. 
For the priests of the Greek Church leavened 
bread is prescribed, not without historical and 
mystic reasons. Not to extend the limits we 
have proposed to ourselves in this book, we 
deem it sufficient merely to assert the custom of 
the Greek Church. To justify the practice of 
the Latin Church, the example of our divine 
Master should be sufficient. There is nothing 
that could make us believe that Our Saviour, 
when eating the Pasch with His disciples, should 
not have observed the prescriptions of the law. 
This feast was instituted in memory of the mi- 
raculous delivery of the Jews from the land of 
Egypt, and of the preservation of their first-born 
when the angel exterminated all the first-born 
of the Egyptians. This feast began on the even- 
ing of the fourteenth day of the month Abib, 
afterwards called Nisan, the first month of the 
holy year, which corresponded partly to the 
months of March and April. On the evening of 



The Offertory. 123 

that day all leavened things had to be removed 
from the houses; that is why it was called the 
feast of the unleavened breads. As Holy Scrip- 
ture expressly says that Our Saviour celebrated 
the Pasch with His disciples the first day of the 
unleavened breads, that is, on the fifteenth of 
Abib, when no leavened bread was allowed in 
the houses, we may rightfully infer that the 
ordinance of the Church in regard to the bread 
for the sacrifice is grounded on the example of 
Our Lord Himself. Furthermore, unleavened 
bread is a striking figure of the Eucharistic 
Lamb, Jesus Christ ; of that spiritual food of our 
souls in holy communion ; and also of that purity 
of heart which is demanded of priest and faith- 
ful at Mass. Leaven is the figure of the unclean 
and the corrupt; for, to use the words of St. Paul, 
it corrupteth the whole lump with which it is 
mixed. Jesus is purity itself ; the food which 
He prepares for us is the bread of angels. The 
Apostle therefore says : " Purge out the old lea- 
ven, that you may be a new paste, as you are 
unleavened. For Christ our Pasch is sacrificed. 
Therefore let us feast: not with the old leaven, 
nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness: 
but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and 



124 The Offertory. 

truth" (i Cor. v. 7, 8). The form of the host 
is meant to convey the same idea. It is soft, 
thin, and light, to represent the meek and glori- 
fied Jesus, who conceals Himself under the ap- 
pearance of bread. The host is round, and in 
that form reminds us of Him to whom the earth 
belongs, and who is without beginning or end. 
The host is white, since it is destined for the 
cleanest oblation. Very often a cross, a lamb, 
the name of the Saviour, or His figure is im- 
pressed on the host, to represent Him who after 
the Consecration will be really present under its 
appearance. The wine should be pure, that is, 
from the grape ; the color does not affect its va- 
lidity. Be this sufficient in as far as the sacri- 
ficial elements are concerned. 

After having read the Offertory, the priest takes 
in his hands the paten with the host thereon and 
says the following prayer: "Receive, O Holy 
Father, omnipotent, eternal God, this unspotted 
host, which I, Thy unworthy servant, offer 
Thee, my living and true God, for my number- 
less sins, offences, and negligences, and for all 
present, and for all faithful Christians, living and 
dead, that to me and to them it may be salutary 
unto everlasting life. Amen." To form a true 



The Offertory, 125 

meaning of this and the following prayers, we 
must bear in mind the sacrifice, although it be 
not yet offered. In this prayer, for instance, the 
host is spoken of as offered to the heavenly 
Father, although this host is not yet the divine 
Host. This host is unspotted ; this is an allusion 
to the sacrifices of the Ancient Law, which had 
to be unspotted, because they were figures of 
Him who is purity itself. In this prayer the 
thoughts of the priest are directed to the Host 
which after consecration will be present on the 
altar. 

In this prayer important questions are an- 
swered. To whom is the sacrifice offered? To 
the Father, as Christ Himself taught and offered 
it to the holy, almighty, eternal, living, and true 
God. What is offered? Benedict XIV. replies 
to that with these few words : " Receive, O holy, 
almighty, eternal God, this unspotted Lamb, 
into whom this bread is soon to be changed." 
Both the body of Christ and the bread, which it 
still really is, are meant here by " unspotted 
host." Who offers the sacrifice? "I, Thy un- 
worthy servant," answers the priest, because it is 
the priest through whose ministry Christ offers 
Himself on the altar. For whom does the priest 



126 The Offertory. 

offer? According to the natural order of charity, 
he offers it first for himself, for his innumerable 
sins, offences, and negligences. St. Paul says of 
the High-Priest Jesus Christ: "Who needeth not 
daily, as the other priests, to offer sacrifices first 
for his own sins, and then for the people's " 
(Heb. vii. 27). The priest knows that, although 
his soul may not be stained with a mortal sin, he 
is not holy, undefiled, nor separated from sinners. 
The priest offers the sacrifice, in the second 
place, for all present, and this should be an in- 
ducement for the faithful to be present at Mass 
whenever it is possible. Finally; the priest offers 
the sacrifice for all faithful Christians, whether 
living or dead, for all who belong to the com- 
munion of saints, for all the members of the 
Church. For what end is the sacrifice offered? 
That it may be salutary unto everlasting life ; in 
other words, that to all, for time and eternity, 
the salutary blessings of the Redemption may 
be applied. We offer the holy sacrifice that in 
all our corporal and spiritual necessities we may 
obtain help and assistance, consolation in afflic- 
tion, patience in suffering and trials, success in 
temporal interests, remission of venial sins and 
punishments due, deliverance of the souls in 



The Offertory. 127 

purgatory, progress in virtue, etc., for all that 
may be serviceable to us or to others. All these 
truths are expressed in the Offertory prayer. 

After that the priest makes with the paten the 
sign of the cross over the corporal. By this sign 
is meant that the sacrifice of the altar is substan- 
tially the same as the sacrifice of the cross. The 
deacon then pours wine into the chalice, the sub- 
deacon a few drops of water, which the priest 
first blesses, saying in the mean time : " O God, * 
who hast wonderfully framed man's exalted 
nature, and still more wonderfully restored it, 
grant us, by the mystic signification of this com- 
mingling of water and wine, to become partakers 
of His Godhead who was pleased to become par- 
taker of our manhood, Jesus Christ, Thy Son, 
Our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee in 
the unity of the Holy Ghost, forever and ever. 
Amen." This prayer dates back to the very 
first ages of Christianity, and gives us to under- 
stand that a very important mystery is signified 
by the mixing of water and wine in the chalice. 

Why do we pour water into the chalice? Be- 
cause, according to tradition, Our Lord set us the 
example when instituting the Blessed Sacrament. 
It was customary then, as it is still to-day in many 



128 The Offertory. 

countries. The Church has retained the cus- 
tom to unfold to our understanding these sub- 
lime mysteries. The Church says : " O God, who 
hast wonderfully framed man's exalted nature." 
Why does the Church allude to the dignity of 
man? Why does she remind us of the divinity 
and humanity of Jesus Christ? Because wine 
and water are figures : the wine represents the 
divinity of Christ, the water His sacred human- 
ity. We also are represented by the water, be- 
cause through Mary we have made Jesus Christ 
partaker of our humanity. Therefore the Church 
expresses here her sentiments of admiration over 
the dignity of man. If we recall to our minds 
that God created man, we shall not be surprised 
to hear the Church say that He created him won- 
derfully. Before creating man, God said: "Let 
us create man according to Our image and like- 
ness," and it was done as He said. But if the 
creation was wonderful, the restoration or the 
redemption of man was still more wonderful. 
The mixing of water and wine reminds us, first ? 
of the humanity and divinity of Christ; the 
Church prays to God that in virtue of the pre- 
cious promises which have been fulfilled in 
Him (2 Pet. i. 4) we may be made partakers 




COPYRIGHT- 1896- BY BENZIGER BROTHERS. 



AT THE OFFERING OF THE CHALICE. 



The Offertory. 129 

of His divinity. This elevation of human na- 
ture, begun on earth by sanctifying grace, will 
be perfected in heavenly glory. In the earthly 
paradise the devil persuaded Eve that, if with 
Adam she would follow his advice, both would 
be as gods. Deception! Then, as now, nothing 
can elevate man to God but the faithful observ- 
ance of the divine commandments. In heaven 
we shall be as gods, not by nature, but by the 
beatific vision. The Church puts this thought 
in our minds when speaking in this prayer of 
the Incarnation of the Word, who is the Source 
of the true greatness of man. 

In Requiem Masses the priest does not 
bless the water, to express another great mys- 
tery. The mixing of wine and water in the 
chalice represents two mysteries, the union of 
the divine and the human nature in Jesus 
Christ, and also the union of Our Lord with 
His Church, composed of all the faithful. The 
Church has no longer jurisdiction over the souls 
in purgatory; she cannot apply to them the 
power of the keys. As long as those souls were 
united to their bodies, the Church made use 
towards them of the power to retain and to 
loose, which Christ entrusted to her. After 
9 



130 The Offertory, 

the parting of body and soul, the Church intro- 
duces the soul either into heaven, and then 
she honors it, or into purgatory, and then she 
prays for it. By not blessing the water in 
Masses for the dead, the Church shows that she 
has no more authority over the souls in purga- 
tory. The water is so necessary for the sacrifice 
that, should it be wanting, the Mass could not 
be offered even on the greatest feast of the year, 
although it is not necessary for the validity of 
the sacrifice. The priest then offers this chalice 
to God, saying: "We offer Thee, O Lord, the 
chalice of salvation, beseeching Thy clemency, 
that in the sight of Thy divine majesty it may 
ascend with the odor of sweetness for our sal- 
vation and that of the whole world. Amen." 
While the priest says this prayer he raises the 
chalice and fixes his eyes on the crucifix. In 
this prayer there is no question of sins and 
offences, which force him to speak to God with 
downcast eyes, In this, as in the first prayer, 
the Church carries our thoughts to the moment 
of consecration. As yet the chalice contains only 
wine ; a few moments later nothing will be left 
of the wine but the appearance and the acci- 
dents; the substance will disappear to make room 



The Offertory. 131 

for the blood of Jesus Christ. The Church prays 
that God may favorably look down upon what 
the chalice will contain, and that it may be ac- 
ceptable to Him for the salvation of all. 

After the prayer of offering the priest, putting 
his hands together and bowing down a little, says 
the following prayer : "In a spirit of humility 
and with a contrite heart, may we be received 
by Thee, O Lord, and let our sacrifice be so 
made in Thy sight this day, that it may be 
pleasing to Thee, O Lord God." The Church 
has borrowed this prayer from the three young 
men whom Nabuchodonosor ordered to be shut 
up in a fiery furnace, because they would not bow 
the knee before his false gods. It beautifully 
illustrates what sentiments should animate the 
faithful when assisting at Mass, and the dispo- 
sition of their whole life, which should be an 
uninterrupted offering. The priest then raises 
his hands and eyes towards heaven, joins his 
hands again, and blesses the offerings, saying at 
the same time: "Come, O Sanctifier, almighty, 
eternal God : and bless this sacrifice prepared to 
Thy name." This prayer contains the earnest 
desire that the fire of the Holy Ghost may come 
down, consume the bread and the wine, and 



132 The Offertory. 

change them into the body and blood of Christ. 
It is the Holy Ghost who operates the change 
of bread and wine into the body and blood of 
Christ, as He operated the mystery of the Incar- 
nation in the womb of the Virgin Mary. St. 
John Damascene beautifully expresses it in the 
following words : " ' How shall this be done, ' asks 
the Blessed Virgin, 'because I know not man?' 
And the angel answering said to her: 'The Holy 
Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the 
Most High, shall overshadow thee/ If you asl^ 
me how this bread becomes the body of Christ, 
and this wine His blood, I answer likewise: The 
Holy Ghost comes upon it and produces an ef- 
fect which surpasses our understanding." 



CHAPTER XIV. 



INCENSING AND WASHING OF HANDS. 

More than once we have had occasion to re- 
mark that the altar represents Our Lord, and 
that is the reason why so much honor is given 
to it. The faithful around it are the members 
of Christ's mystic body. At the very beginning 
of Mass, after the priest ascends the altar, he 
incenses it on all sides as a sign of respectful 
homage to God. Like the kings from the East 
placing at the feet of the new-born Saviour the 
gifts which the Gospel mentions, so will the 
priest once more incense the altar in honor of 
his Master and King. The incensation after the 
Offertory is the principal and most solemn one. 
The first time the priest simply blessed the in- 
cense by saying: " Mayst thou be blessed by Him 
in whose honor thou wilt be cremated. " This time 
he solemnly invokes the help of all the elect; 
he says : " By the intercession of blessed Mi- 
chael the Archangel, standing at the right hand 



134 Incensing and Washing of Hands. 

of the altar of incense, and of all His elect, may 
the Lord deign to bless this incense and receive 
it as an odor of sweetness. Through Christ Our 
Lord. Amen." In the Apocalypse the angel 
holding the golden censer is not named. The 
Church here names St. Michael, the prince of the 
heavenly host, the protector of all faithful souls, 
who introduces them into the land of eternal 
light, the conqueror of Satan and his adherents. 

We have before explained the mystic sig- 
nification of the incense. The priest first in- 
censes the bread and the wine by making three 
crosses over them with the censer to express the 
mystic relation between the sacrifice and the 
Most Holy Trinity. The first cross reminds us 
of the Father, to whom the sacrifice is offered ; 
the second of the Son, who is sacrificed on the 
altar; the third of the Holy Ghost, by whose 
power the change is made. The priest further 
incenses the offerings from the right side to the 
left, and from the left to the right, to signify 
that these elements are now separated from every- 
thing unholy and are set aside exclusively for 
the sacrifice ; that is the reason why the Church 
orders that the bread and wine should be treated 
with more respect after the Offertory than be- 



Incensing and Washing of Hands. 135 

fore. While incensing the bread and the wine, 
the priest says the following prayer: " May this 
incense, blessed by Thee, O Lord, ascend to 
Thee and Thy mercy come down upon ns." 
This prayer is at the same time an homage to 
God and a supplication for ourselves. The 
priest then proceeds to incense the altar, in the 
same way as he did before, with this difference 
only, that on the first occasion he incensed the 
altar in silence, while this time the Church 
directs him to say part of Psalm cxl., chosen 
chiefly on account of the first words : 44 Let my 
prayer be directed, O Lord, as incense in Thy 
sight, and the lifting up of my hands as the even- 
ing sacrifice. Set a watch, O Lord, before 
my mouth, and a door round about my lips. 
Incline not my heart to evil words, to make 
excuses in sins." The evening sacrifice, which 
is spoken of in this prayer, may be beautifully 
applied to the unbloody sacrifice of the altar, 
which was instituted in the evening ; the sacrifice 
of the cross also was an evening sacrifice, as it was 
consummated towards evening. We pray there- 
fore that in union with these offerings of infinite 
value our prayer may ascend to God's throne as a 
sweet odor. Handing the censer to the deacon, 



136 Incensing and Washing of Hands. 

the priest expresses for the deacon and himself 
the following wish : " May the Lord enkindle in 
us the fire of His love and the flame of everlast- 
ing charity. ,, Twice before when incense was 
used, before the Introit and after the Gospel, the 
priest alone was incensed; this time all the as- 
sistants, the choir, and the faithful also are in- 
censed, to signify that they are all but one mys- 
tic body, of which Jesus Christ is the Head. 

After the incensation, the priest washes his 
hands. When we take into consideration the 
practice of the early Church, and also that by 
incensing the hands maybe soiled, we shall read- 
ily understand that the priest must wash his 
hands before touching the sacred body of his 
God. But this washing of the hands is rather 
symbolic of the greater purity which is demanded 
of the priest as the solemn moment of consecra- 
tion approaches. As the Saviour washed the 
feet of His apostles before instituting the Holy 
Eucharist and giving them holy communion, so 
also must the priest purify himself. During 
Mass the priest washes only the tips of his fin- 
gers, not the whole hand. Thereby we are given 
to understand that we should cleanse ourselves 
before Mass of our more grievous sins, that dur- 



Incensing and Washing of Hands. 137 

ing Mass we may at most have to purify our- 
selves of smaller imperfections. By the washing 
of the hands the priest expresses in particular 
his desire of being more and more cleansed of 
the little faults which he may have committed 
from the beginning of Mass. This washing of 
the hands, says St. Thomas, is sufficient to sig- 
nify a perfect purification, because, the hand 
being the member of members, all works are 
ascribed to the hands. The verses from the 
Psalms which the priest recites express still 
clearer the mystic signification of the washing 
of the hands. The Church has selected for it 
part of Psalm xxv. : " I will wash my hands 
among the innocent: and will compass Thine 
altar, O Lord. That I may hear the voice of 
praise, and tell of all Thy wondrous works. I 
have loved, O Lord, the beauty of Thy house: 
and the place where .Thy glory dwelleth. Take 
not away my soul, O God, with the wicked, nor 
my life with bloody men. In whose hands are 
iniquities: their right hand is filled with gifts. 
But as for me, I have walked in my innocence: 
redeem me and have mercy on me. My foot 
hath stood in the right way : in the churches I 
will bless Thee, O Lord." All these words ap- 



138 Incensing and Washing of Haitds. 

ply to the occasion. "I will wash my hands 
among the innocent." How clean and pure must 
not the hands of the priest be! Those hands 
which have been anointed with holy oil for the 
service of God! Those hands, which, like the 
hands of Moses, are extended heavenward to 
present to God the needs of humanity! Those 
hands, which touch the immaculate Lamb, offer 
Him to God, and give Him in holy communion to 
the faithful ! But how can the priest in truth speak 
so? He lives in the world, where this brightness 
of the soul's purity is so easily tarnished. He is 
not impeccable, but he is in earnest about com- 
bating his passions, about purifying his soul more 
and more, to approach the altar with clean hands. 

In the words which immediately follow, 
David probably alludes to a religious cere- 
mony as then practised. They remind us 
also of the host of ministering priests and 
levites in the Temple of Solomon. The priest 
at the altar is surrounded by numerous angels, 
extolling with him the wondrous works of God. 
David further testifies that he found his delight 
in the service of God, and dwelt with pleasure in 
His sanctuary. This sanctuary was not the Tem- 
ple of Jerusalem, which did not exist at that 



Incensing and Washing of Hands. 139 

time, but was erected some years after by Sol- 
omon. This sanctuary was the Tabernacle, con- 
taining the Ark of the Covenant, which in Holy 
Scripture is called the glory of the Lord. Such 
should be the disposition of the priest. He must 
cherish his sanctuary, be it a magnificent basilica 
or a little frame church. There is his Golgotha 
and his Thabor. There he must find his delight 
and its beauty he must love. 

In the following verses the priest prays that 
God might preserve in him this favorable dis- 
position and keep from him the terrible punish- 
ments reserved for the wicked. For this emi- 
nent favor the priest promises to praise God in 
the gatherings of His militant children on earth 
and of His glorified children in heaven. The 
sentiments expressed in this psalm correspond 
with those expressed in the psalm which the 
priest recited at the beginning of Mass before 
ascending the altar. When the psalm Judica is 
not said, the small doxology, Gloria Patri, is also 
omitted. We must further remark that the 
priest washes his hands on the epistle side, be- 
cause generally — especially during the Middle 
Ages— the sacrarium was on that side. This 
served to receive all blessed or consecrated 



140 Incensing and Washing of Hands. 

things which could not be used, to preserve 
them from desecration, and also for the washing 
of hands during Mass. 

After the washing of the hands, the priest 
returns to the middle of the altar, where, joining 
his hands and resting them on the altar, he prays: 
" Receive, O Holy Trinity, this oblation, which we 
offer Thee in remembrance of the Passion, Resur- 
rection, and Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ; 
and in honor of the blessed Mary ever virgin, 
blessed John the Baptist, and of the holy apostles 
Peter and Paul, of these and all Thy saints, that 
it may be to their honor and to our salvation, 
and that in heaven they may deign to pray 
for us whose memory we celebrate on earth. 
Through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen." 
Many important truths are contained in this 
prayer. In the first two Offertory prayers the 
priest addressed the Father; in this he addresses 
expressly the Three Divine Persons, and prays 
them to receive this offering. He means there- 
by the bread and the wine which he has just 
offered; but it is not altogether the bread and 
the wine which he has in view. These objects 
are truly sanctified and blessed, and should, as 
such, be handled with respect; but the offering 



Incensing and Washing of Hands. 141 

which is presented to the Divine Majesty can- 
not be limited to a mere material sacrifice, such 
as the Jews formerly offered. The priest has 
here also in view the offering of the great sacri- 
fice which will be consummated a few moments 
later. This offering is presented to the Blessed 
Trinity in remembrance of the Passion, Resur- 
rection, and Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ, 
three great and necessary events. He suffered 
and died, but this was not sufficient. Death, a 
consequence of sin, is like the victory of Satan 
over man ; death would have been a defeat to 
the God-Man, had He died never to rise again. 
Not only did He rise from the dead, but He 
ascended gloriously into heaven. The Saviour 
was not to remain on earth ; as long as He did 
not open heaven to introduce His sacred hu- 
manity, so long would it remain closed to man. 
Let us therefore not forget that the Lord suf- 
fered and rose from the dead, but that our salva- 
tion would not be perfect had He remained in 
banishment on earth; to the Passion and the 
Resurrection we must then necessarily add the 
Ascension. The Church is so well convinced 
that these three events are necessary to give us 
a correct idea of the Saviour and His work that 



142 Incensing and Washing of Hands, 

she requires here an open profession of these 
truths. 

A question here presents itself: How can 
the sacrifice, which belongs to God alone, be 
offered in honor of the saints? The sacrifice 
must be offered to God only ; but this does not 
prevent that it also tend to the honor of the 
saints. To form a right idea of this, we must 
remember that the saints with Christ are but one 
mystic body. When Christ offers Himself to 
His heavenly Father during Mass, the saints 
offer themselves with Him. This union with 
Christ is honorable to the saints, and this is the 
reason why the sacrifice, which regards directly 
the glory of God, also indirectly tends to honor 
the saints. This being so, the greater share of 
that honor belongs to the Blessed Virgin. For 
she it was who gave to the Second Person of the 
Blessed Trinity the body and the blood which 
is daily reproduced on thousands of our altars. 
She it was who stood fearlessly at the foot of 
the cross to offer with her Son the bloody sacri- 
fice to the eternal Father. The Blessed Virgin, 
although a creature, surpasses in a sense the 
whole creation; she is the masterpiece of God's 
omnipotence. Justly therefore does the Church 



Incensing and Washing of Hands. 143 

honor, even during Mass, the exalted woman 
who is the Mother of God. The Church also 
holds St. John the Baptist in particular venera- 
tion ; she mentions his name in the Confiteor, 
and again delights in paying here her homage 
to the precursor of Our Lord. The Church 
mentions also the names of the two great apos- 
tles who worked so zealously together at the 
foundation of the Holy Roman Church. Next in 
the prayer under consideration occur the follow- 
ing words: " Of these and of all the saints." The 
question has often been asked : Who are meant 
by these saints? Some think they are the saints 
whose feast is celebrated that day; but in that 
case the singular should often be used instead of 
the plural. The Masses for the dead would then 
also offer a difficulty ; in those Masses which are 
not offered in honor of any particular saint, the 
word should then be omitted, which the Church 
does not allow in any case. According to others, 
by these are understood the saints whose names 
have been mentioned in this prayer, The 
Church means, it seems to us, the saints whose 
relics are inclosed in the altar-stone ; that is the 
reason why at the consecration of an altar the 
relics of more than one saint have to be inclosed 



144 Incensing and Washing of Hands. 

in it. Finally, the Church mentions all the saints 
in general, because they all participate in the 
Mass. The last part of this prayer clearly indi- 
cates that the holy sacrifice of Mass, on the one 
hand, honors God, the Blessed Virgin, and the 
saints, and, on the other, benefits us. But how 
can the Mass tend to honor the saints, since they 
do not need our prayers, have all they desire, 
are perfectly happy, and cannot rise higher in 
the heavenly glory by our homages? Pope In- 
nocent III. replies "that the words Wis profi- 
ciat ad honorem [that it may be to them an hon- 
or] should be so understood as expressing the 
desire that the saints may be more and more 
honored by the faithful on earth ; even a great 
many do not think it improbable that the acci- 
dental glory of the saints may increase until the 
general judgment day, and that the Church may 
desire an increase of the honor paid to them." 
The prayer ends with the fervent request that 
those whose memory we honor upon earth may 
be in heaven our intercessors in union with Our 
Lord Jesus Christ. 




COPYRIGHT I89S-8Y BENZIGER- BROTHERS- 

AT THE ORATE FRATRES, 



j 



CHAPTER XV. 



THE ORATE FRATRES, THE SECRETS, AND THE 
PREFACE. 

We have frequently noticed the intimate re- 
lation between the priest and the faithful pres- 
ent during holy Mass. The many salutations 
and calls of the people to prayer on the part of 
the priest, the participation in the prayer of the 
priest on the part of the faithful by the mouth 
of the acolytes, are clear proofs of it. Priest and 
faithful help each other. The priest, having 
ended the prayer, "Receive, O Holy Trinity," 
kisses the altar, turns to the people with down- 
cast eyes, extends his hands, and joins them 
again, saying meanwhile in a low voice, " Pray, 
brethren," and turning to the altar he continues 
in silence : " That my sacrifice and yours may be 
acceptable to God the Father Almighty." This 
is, as it were, the priest's farewell greeting to 
the faithful ; he will not turn to them again till 
after the sacrifice has been offered. He does not 

IO 



146 Orate Fratres, Secrets, and Preface. 

use here the common salutation, which he has 
so often addressed to the people; he does not 
content himself with the ordinary " The Lord 
be with you;" he recommends himself to the 
people in order that this sacrifice, which is his 
and theirs at the same time, may be acceptable 
to God. As the solemn moment of consecration 
approaches, he feels all the more the necessity 
of being supported by the prayers of the faith- 
ful. The priest addresses them here as brethren, 
a truly Christian expression indeed, for we are 
all brethren in Christ. Very often, as Scripture 
testifies, did the apostles address the first Chris- 
tians by that name. All those who have quit 
the world, all those who are living now or will 
live in the future, provided they believe in Jesus 
Christ, and have been adopted by Him through 
Baptism, are indeed brethren to one another. 
They have been regenerated in Christ by the 
same sacrament, reared in the communion of the 
same holy Church, called to the same heritage 
by the same merciful Father. Such Christians 
should be at all times, but especially during the 
holy sacrifice, one in heart and one in soul, pray- 
ing for and with one another. 
The reason of the priest's inviting the congre- 



Urate Fratres y Secrets, and Preface. 147 

gation to pray accompanies the invitation, namely, 
that his and their sacrifice may be acceptable to 
God the Father Almighty. The offering of the 
holy Mass is the sublimest act of priestly power. 
In the pulpit the priest acts as teacher, in the 
confessional as judge and doctor, but at the altar 
he is properly a priest. " No sacrifice without a 
priest, no priest without a sacrifice, and without 
sacrifice no religion !" (St, Thomas.) Therefore 
the sacrifice of holy Mass is chiefly the offering 
of the priest, but it is also the offering of the 
faithful, because the priest offers it in their name 
and in union with them, and because at the com- 
munion they receive the Lord's body and blood, 
which is sacrificed for them. Holy Mass is then 
also the offering of the faithful ; this considera- 
tion induces the priest to invite them to greater 
attention. They should not forget that they 
have their share in the priesthood. St. Peter 
calls them a kingly priesthood (1 Pet. ii. 9) be- 
cause they are Christians. They come from 
Christ and belong to Him, they are anointed 
and by Baptism became other Christs; they must 
therefore be able to sacrifice with the priest. 
The united prayer of the priest and the faithful 
must cause the offering to be acceptable to God, 



148 Orate Fratres, Secrets, and Preface, 

not as regards the offering, which in itself Is 
acceptable to God, but on the part of the offer- 
ers, that is, of the priest and the faithful, who 
by want of due disposition might excite God's 
wrath against them. Animated by the voice of 
the priest, the faithful hasten to correspond to 
his desire in the following words : " May the 
Lord receive the sacrifice from thy hands for the 
praise and glory of His name, for our benefit 
and that also of His entire holy Church." The 
priest then joins in the sentiments expressed, 
answering silently, "Amen." Although the 
faithful sacrifice with the priest, yet they pray 
that God may receive the sacrifice from his hands, 
to show that the priest is the proper minister by 
whom the sacrifice is offered; his hands only 
have been anointed and consecrated for that pur- 
pose. He is the mediator between God and men, 
he presents the prayers and wishes of the faithful 
to God, and very often God's graces and favors 
come to them through him. Priest and faithful 
pray to God, first, that the offering may tend to 
the honor of God, for which purpose it was prin- 
cipally instituted, and secondly, because it is also 
a propitiatory and impetratory sacrifice for the 
benefit of those present and of all Christians. 



Orate Fratres, Secrets, and Preface. 149 

After the priest has responded "Amen" to 
the wishes of the faithful, he reads the 
Secrets, which are not preceded by the " Oremus 99 
("Let ns pray"), as are the Collects, be- 
cause the Orate Fratres is an exhortation to 
prayer. This prayer is called secret or silent 
prayer, because it is said in a low voice which 
cannot be heard by the congregation. In num- 
ber and form the Secrets correspond to the Col- 
lects; but they differ in other respects. The 
Collects have a nearer reference to the feast 
which is celebrated that day, and ask for a par- 
ticular grace, a particular virtue, in which the 
saint excelled. The Secrets, on the contrary, are 
chiefly what many holy Fathers call them, "a 
prayer over the gifts offered although they be- 
long to the changeable parts of Mass, and also, 
like the Collects, refer partly to the feast of the 
day. In the Secrets, as in many other prayers, 
we address to God a twofold prayer. In them 
we ask God, first, that He may graciously receive 
the offered gifts, bless and sanctify them; sec- 
ondly, that in virtue of the offering which we 
present to Him He may shower down upon us 
His manifold graces. In this silent prayer the 
priest follows the example of the Divine Offerer, 



150 Orate Fr aires, Secrets, and Preface. 

who during His life often sought solitude to con- 
verse with His heavenly Father, especially on 
the night of His Passion in the Garden of Geth- 
semani, when leaving His apostles He withdrew 
to pray silently, before delivering Himself into 
the hands of His enemies and consummating the 
bloody sacrifice of the cross. The faithful should 
unite with the priest, who prays silently for them. 
The music during the Secrets should be such as 
not to distract the faithful, but rather to help 
their attention and devotion. The faithful can- 
not do better than to make the words of the 
priest their own, even when they do not under- 
stand them. So did the first Christians, when 
there were no books wherein they could read the 
prayers of Mass. They contented themselves by 
saying " Amen " to the prayers of the priest. 
This little word contains a simple but sublime 
act of faith. It means on the lips of the faith- 
ful : " We know not what is best for us, God 
knows; we know not how to glorify God best, 
the Church knows. The Church has prayed, be- 
cause the priest prays in her name. The pray- 
ers of the priest are the prayers of the Church, 
they are also our prayers, whatever they may 
contain ; we cannot desire anything better than 



Orate Fratres, Secrets, and Preface. 151 

what the Church desires, we can say nothing 
better than what the Church says; therefore, 
Amen — So be it." After the priest has prayed 
for some time in holy silence, he concludes the 
Secrets, as he does the Collects, with the suppli- 
cation that the favors requested may be granted 
through the merits of Our Lord Jesus Christ, 
who liveth and reigneth with the Father in the 
unity of the Holy Ghost forever and ever. By 
these last words the priest interrupts his silence. 
The people through the acolytes answer " Amen." 

The priest then in joyful tones begins the Pref- 
ace, which is an introduction or nearer prepara- 
tion to the Canon or principal part of the Mass. 
As the preface of a book serves to give an idea 
of the matter the book treats, or the exordium 
of an oration serves to gain the good-will of the 
audience and to draw their attention, so does 
the Preface, if we may compare it to the intro- 
duction of a book or of an oration, introduce us 
to the Canon and serve to predispose God tow- 
ards us. The priest begins by thanking and 
praising God, that he may more worthily proceed 
to consecrate the body and blood of Christ. In 
this solemn thanksgiving he follows the exam- 
ple of the Saviour, who, before changing bread 



152 Orate Fratres, Secrets, and Preface. 

and wine into His own body and blood, raised 
His eyes heavenward and thanked His heavenly 
Father. With the Preface begins this solemn 
thanksgiving, of which the Consecration is the 
crown and the conclusion. The Preface is pre- 
ceded by a touching colloquy between the priest 
and the faithful, which seems to be as old as the 
Church itself, and must probably be ascribed to 
the apostles; it is found in the oldest missals. 
The Preface is composed of three parts. The 
first consists of three verses and three responses : 
to wit : 

V. "The Lord be with you." R. "And with 
thy spirit." 

V. "Lift up your hearts. R. "We lift them 
up to God." 

V. " Let us give thanks unto the Lord our 
God." R. " It is meet and just." 

This part is the same in all Prefaces. The 
greeting which the priest has often before ad- 
dressed to the faithful serves also as an intro- 
duction to the Preface, and very justly. For, as 
the solemn moment of consecration approaches, 
priest and faithful feel more sincerely the need 
of divine assistance. Grace alone can cause man 
to be so detached from all things earthly that 



Orate Fratres, Secrets, and Preface. 153 

all his attention will be fixed on God and things 
divine. This applies to the faithful as well as to 
the priest ; therefore they interchange with each 
other the same wish. John the deacon relates 
in the life of St. Gregory the Great that when 
on one occasion this great saint repeated those 
words, "The Lord be with you," during Mass, 
and the servants inadvertently did not reply, an 
angel filled their place and answered : " And with 
thy spirit." This time, however, the priest does 
not turn to the faithful to greet them. He has 
now, like Moses on Mount Sinai, entered the holy 
cloud ; he now proceeds to communicate intimate- 
ly with his God ; in future he will have his eyes 
fixed on the altar, and not turn again to the peo- 
ple till after the sacrifice has been consummated. 

Then follows the admonition of the priest 
to lift their hearts to God, and the assur- 
ance of the faithful that they have done what 
he asks. While the priest says, " Lift up your 
hearts," he raises his hands to express his long- 
ing after things heavenly and eternal. The 
Church follows in this ceremony the invitation 
of the prophet Jeremias (Lam. iii. 41): " Let 
us lift up our hearts with our hands to the Lord 
in the heavens." Let us lift up our hearts to 



154 Orate Fratres, Secrets, and Preface. 

the Lord, not like the proud, who lift them 
against God. Very significant are these few 
words. They tell tis that, free from all things 
earthly, free from all attachment which is not 
of God, we should lift ourselves to God with all 
the faculties of our soul. The faithful reply to 
the invitation : " We lift them up to God/' God 
grant that this reply be not a lie ! What can it 
benefit us to give the priest that assurance if our 
works indicate the contrary? St. John Chrysos- 
tom addresses such in great earnest : " What 
dost thou, O man? What didst thou answer to 
the priest, when he said : Lift up your hearts to 
God? Art thou not ashamed, that at this mo- 
ment thou makest thyself a liar? The divine 
feast is prepared ; the Lamb is being offered for 
thee . . . and thou art not ashamed to become 
a liar this very moment." In the hope, however, 
that those present mean what they say, he in- 
vites them to join w 7 ith him in the sublime 
thanksgiving which he tenders in the name of 
all to the heavenly Father. " Let us give thanks 
to the Lord our God," says the priest, while he 
slowly joins his hands and reverently bows his 
head. The faithful answer: "It is meet and 
just." On this colloquy follows the second part 



Orate Fratres, Secrets, and Preface. 155 

of the Preface. This part is subject to certain 
changes. On a few feast-days the Church delights 
in thanking God for the extraordinary bless- 
ings which these feasts commemorate ; or which 
He has granted by the mediation of the Blessed 
Virgin or the holy apostles, or of another saint. 
The common Preface is as follows: "It is truly 
meet and just, right and salutary, that we should 
always and in all places, give thanks to Thee, 
O holy Lord, almighty Father, eternal God, 
through Christ our Lord ; by whom the angels 
praise Thy majesty, the dominations adore it, 
the powers tremble before it, the heavens and 
the virtues of heaven and the blessed seraphs 
also with united exultation praise it. We pray 
Thee let our voices ascend with theirs to Thee, 
while with the deepest awe we confess and cry." 

The priest begins by adducing four motives 
why we should thank God. 

First, to thank God is meet in reference to God 
and to ourselves. By thanksgiving we profess 
and glorify the infinite worth of God, and raise 
at the same time the dignity of man. By thank- 
ing God we profess that He is the Giver of all 
good gifts, that He loves us with paternal affec- 
tion; in other words, by thanking God we give 



156 Orate Fratres, Secrets, and Preface, 

Him what His dignity requires from us. Grati- 
tude is the distinctive mark of a noble heart; by- 
gratitude we begin upon earth a life which in 
eternity will be perfected by an uninterrupted 
thanksgiving. 

Secondly, to thank God is Just. Gratitude has 
a close connection with justice. What is justice 
but an earnest desire and effort to compensate 
as much as possible for the benefits we have re- 
ceived? Therefore, whoever desires to be just 
must necessarily practise gratitude. Holy Scrip- 
ture says distinctly that gratitude on our part is 
a serious obligation. 

Thirdly, to thank God is right; it is becoming 
on our part. When we consider the great love 
which God has borne us, and even now bears us, 
we will readily understand that nothing could be 
more right, more becoming, and more reasonable 
than that our whole life, if it were possible, be 
one uninterrupted thanksgiving. 

Finally, to thank God is salutary, for time and 
eternity, for the body as well as for the soul. 
Gratitude opens the treasures of divine gener- 
osity, and enriches the soul with precious graces. 
Learned theologians teach that gratitude is the 
great means by which we obtain from God the 



Orate Fratres, Secrets, and Preface. 157 

gift of perseverance and eternal salvation. For 
gratitude is the beginning of heavenly life; it is 
the great incentive, inducing us to continue cou- 
rageously our journey to heaven ; it is a suppli- 
cation to God, obliging Him to bestow continu- 
ally new graces on us. To thank God is then 
meet, just, right, and salutary. Thence follows 
also that our gratitude is not limited to time or 
place ; we should thank God " always and in all 
places;" in adversity as well as in prosperity we 
should always be able to say from our hearts: 
"Thanks be to God." Yet we owe God a special 
thanksgiving during Mass, which is the crown 
of God's love towards man. But if we wish the 
homage of our gratitude to rise to the throne of 
the "holy Lord," the "almighty Father," the 
"eternal God," it should be presented "through 
Christ our Lord," the Mediator between God and 
man. Jesus is not only the Head of the Church 
militant on earth, but also of the Church trium- 
phant in heaven. He is the Mediator not only 
of men, but also of angels; therefore do the 
blessed spirits praise the Divine Majesty through 
Christ. Gratitude has to be rendered in the same 
way, says St. Thomas, as God's blessings come 
to us, viz., through Christ (in Ep. ad Rom.). 



158 Orate Fratres, Secrets, and Preface. 

By " angels'* is to be understood here not 
the angels in general, but the lowest choir of 
angels. According to the opinion of theolo- 
gians, corroborated by many passages of Holy 
Scripture, the heavenly spirits are divided into 
nine choirs, of which the angels are the lowest. 
In the common Preface not all the choirs of an- 
gels are expressly mentioned. Besides the an- 
gels are also mentioned the dominations and the 
powers who tremble before the Divine Majesty. 
This respectful fear, however, does not imply 
for the blessed punishment or torture. This 
sublime thanksgiving is not limited to the one or 
the other choir of angels; nay, the heavens and 
the virtues of heaven, that is, all the blessed 
citizens and the princes of the invisible heaven, 
together with the highest choir of seraphim, 
glowing with love, vie with one another in hon- 
oring and praising the Divine Majesty. We 
must humbly confess that we cannot honor and 
praise God on earth as the blessed do in heaven. 
And yet the mystery at which we assist strikes 
with awe the highest choir of angels. It is then 
quite natural that we should unite with the heav- 
enly spirits, and cry to God with all the fervor of 
our hearts : " Holy ! holy ! holy ! Lord God of 



Orate Fratres, Secrets, and Preface. 159 

hosts ! Heaven and earth are full of Thy glory ! 
Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is He that 
cometh in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in 
the highest." The first part of this canticle is 
taken from a vision of Isaias (vi. 3). The 
prophet saw the Lord sitting on His throne, 
surrounded with angels, respectfully crying out 
to Him : " Holy, holy, holy," etc. St. John relates 
nearly the same in the Apocalypse (iv. 8). 

The Church could find no better place for 
this canticle of praise than immediately before 
the Canon. By repeating three times the word 
holy, the angels tell us that the God whom 
they glorify is the God of all holiness; for 
He is holiness itself. Together with His 
holiness they glorify His power. They call 
Him the Lord God of hosts, which means 
the God of all power. How could our weak 
intellect form a nearer idea of God's omnipo- 
tence than from an army, which overcomes all 
obstacles, shrinks from no difficulties, and van- 
quishes all? Such is God, infinitely powerful as 
He is infinitely holy. The thrice-repeated holy re- 
fers to the Three Persons of the Blessed Trinity. 
We do not find anywhere in the Old Testament 
the Three Divine Persons clearly and separately 



160 Orate Fratres, Secrets, and Preface. 

mentioned. This knowledge was reserved to a 
few privileged persons, to w r hom God, as in the 
case of Isaias, chose to reveal it. After this 
profession of God's holiness and omnipotence, 
the Church adds : " Heaven and earth are full of 
Thy glory." A sublime expression of God's 
glory! Every little corner of creation shows 
forth His glory; everything comes from His 
hand and glorifies Him. Ravished with joy, the 
Church cries out: " Hosanna in the highest!" 
These and the following words are taken from 
the Gospel of St. Matthew (xxi. 9), where the 
Evangelist relates the triumphant entry of Jesus 
into Jerusalem. A very great multitude went 
to meet Him, and, cutting boughs from the trees 
and strewing them in the way, they accompanied 
Him through the golden gate to the Temple, 
repeating the same words which the priest here 
recites. And yet that great multitude did not 
know Him, for a few days later they will cry: 
" Away with Him, away with Him, crucify 
Him." With what sentiments then should the 
faithful pronounce those words, because for 
them Jesus is not an unknown person? A few 
days later Jesus goes up to Jerusalem to sacrifice 
Himself on the altar of the cross; He now 




COPYRIGHT 1896- BY BENZIQER BROTHERS. 

AT THE SANCTUS. 



Orate Fratrcs, Secrets, and Preface. 161 

comes down from heaven to renew this bloody 
sacrifice in an unbloody manner. To indicate 
that the Blessed One who comes in the name 
of the Lord is Jesus Christ Himself, the priest 
signs himself at these words with the sign of the 
cross. 



CHAPTER XVI. 



FIRST PRAYER OF THE CANON. 

The priest now begins the Canon. This 
Greek word means properly a straight wooden 
stick or rule, used by artisans and storekeepers 
to measure. In ecclesiastical language this word 
has many significations; for instance, the Canon 
of Holy Scripture means all the books of Holy 
Scripture; the definitions of general councils 
are also called canones. By the Canon or Rule of 
Mass we understand that unchangeable part 
which constitutes the essence of the Mass. It 
begins after the Sanctus and ends before the 
Pater Noster, The Council of Trent declared in 
regard to the origin of the Canon as follows 
(session xxii. c. iv.) : " And whereas it beseemeth 
that holy things be administered in a holy man- 
ner, and of all holy things this sacrifice is the 
most holy; to the end that it might be worthily 
and reverently offered and received, the Catho- 
lic Church instituted, many years ago, the sacred 



First Prayer of the Canon. 163 

Canon, so pure from every error that nothing 
is contained therein which does not in the high- 
est degree savor of a certain holiness and piety, 
and raise up to God the minds of those who 
offer. For it is composed out of the very words 
of the Lord, the traditions of the apostles, and 
the pious institutions also of holy pontiffs." 

For more than twelve hundred years the Canon 
has remained unchanged. This is of all pray- 
ers the one that was composed by a special 
inspiration of the Holy Ghost ; it is a prayer full 
of power and unction. Before explaining the 
first prayer of the Canon, we must show why 
the Canon is said silently. The Church pre- 
scribes that the Canon shall be said in such a 
low tone of voice that only the priest can hear 
himself and not be understood by the audience. 
This general law admits, in the Latin Church, 
of but one exception ; namely, in the Mass of an 
ordination to the priesthood. The bishop then 
raises his voice a little for the Secrets and the 
Canon, not, however, so as to be understood by 
the people, but in order that the newly ordained 
priests, kneeling around the altar, may recite 
the prayers with him and pronounce simulta- 
neously the words of consecration. The bishop 



164 First Prayer of the Canon, 

follows in that the example of the Saviour, 
who, at the Last Supper, when ordaining His 
apostles to the priesthood, consecrated bread 
and wine, and pronounced the words loud 
enough to be understood by the apostles, to 
teach them the manner of consecrating which 
was to last to the end of the world. "The 
Canon is said silently," says Benedict XIV., 
"because the apostles prescribed it, and be- 
cause the Church out of respect wished to 
preserve this apostolic tradition." But there 
are other reasons which perfectly justify this 
custom. 

1. This subdued recitation of the Canon is 
to show that the real act of offering or con- 
secrating belongs exclusively to the priest. 
The priest only is empowered by God to change 
bread and wine into the body and blood 
of Christ; to immolate the divine Lamb in 
an unbloody manner. As Moses on the 
mountain conversed alone with God, so does 
the priest at the altar, when he proceeds, as 
vicegerent and minister of the eternal High- 
Priest, to offer the holy sacrifice for the whole 
Church. 

2. The quiet recitation of the Canon illus- 



First Prayer of the Canon. 165 

trates beautifully the substance and the consum- 
mation of the great mystery of our altars. The 
material elements, namely, bread and wine, are 
changed into the body and blood of Christ in a 
manner that the senses do not perceive, and no 
created intelligence can understand. Each Host 
contains more mysteries than there are stars in 
the firmament. The holy stillness during Mass 
serves to indicate and to recall to our remem- 
brance the unspeakable depth of the mysteries 
accomplished on the altar. It shows at the same 
time that the Church treats and adores this mys- 
tery with humble reverence and unspeakable 
admiration. 

3. The sight of the priest conversing with 
God in silence is a powerful means to excite and 
to promote the necessary dispositions among 
those present. This sacred silence is something 
so sublime and mysterious that it excites the 
faithful to greater respect, enkindles in their 
hearts a holy fear, brings about a salutary com- 
punction, and penetrates them with true feelings 
of piety. 

4. Besides these reasons, which amply justify 
the ordinance of the Church, it seems to us that 
the silent recitation of the Canon also serves to 



1 66 First Prayer of the Canon. 

preserve from profanation and irreverence these 
sacred words. 

5. Finally, this silent prayer is an imitation of 
what the divine High-Priest did the night before 
His passion on the Mount of Olives, and a few 
hours later on the cross. Jesus did not always 
pray aloud ; often He prayed to His heavenly 
Father in silence. No wonder, indeed, that the 
minister of Christ at the renewal of the offering 
of the cross should imitate His divine example. 
As the Eternal Word was born during the silence 
of night in the stable of Bethlehem, so does the 
King of glory now descend on the altar in pro- 
found stillness. 

Before we proceed to explain the first prayer 
of the Canon, we must say a word about the 
many crosses which are made over the sacrificial 
elements during the Canon. Before consecra- 
tion, they serve to sanctify more and more the 
material elements; after consecration, they serve 
chiefly to signify that the Victim which is now 
on the altar is the same as the Victim of the 
cross, and to present it, as such, to the heavenly 
Father for the sins of men. St. Thomas, the 
prince of theologians, refers these different 
crosses to the various events of Jesus' passion, 



First Prayer of the Canon. iGj 

which began with His betrayal by Judas and 
ended in His death on the cross. We translate 
the following from St. Thomas (3a Quaest., 
lxxxiii., art. v., 3): "First came the be- 
trayal of Christ by Judas and the Jews; this is 
typified by the three crosses at the words, 
' These gifts, these presents, these holy unspotted 
sacrifices.' Secondly, the delivery of Jesus to 
the priests, the scribes, and the Pharisees; this 
is typified by three other crosses at the words, 
'Approved, ratified, reasonable, and acceptable/ 
which indicate also the price of this delivery, 
namely, thirty pieces of silver. Two crosses 
are added at the words 1 body ' and ' blood, ' to in- 
dicate the person of the betrayer Judas and the 
innocent Jesus who was sold. Thirdly, the pre- 
figuring of the passion at the Last Supper, to 
express which two crosses are made immediate- 
ly before the consecration of the body and of the 
blood at the word i blessed.' Fourthly, the pas- 
sion proper of Our Lord; to typify the five 
wounds, five crosses are made at the words, 'A 
pure Victim, a holy Victim, an immaculate Vic- 
tim, the holy Bread of eternal life, and the Chal- 
ice of everlasting salvation.' Fifthly, the nail- 
ing to the cross, the shedding of blood, and the 



1 68 First Prayer of the Canon. 

fruit of the passion are represented by three 
crosses at the words, ' That as man}/ as shall 
by partaking at this altar receive the most sacred 
body and blood of Thy Son may be filled with 
all heavenly blessing and grace/ Sixthly, the 
threefold prayer on the cross is figured by three 
crosses at the words ; 'Sanctify, quicken, bless/ 
Seventhly, the three hours during which Jesus 
hung on the cross are figured by three crosses at 
the words, ' Through Him, and with Him, and 
in Him/ Eighthly, the separation of body and 
soul is represented by two crosses which are 
made immediately after the preceding ones in 
front of the chalice. Ninthly, the Resurrection 
on the third day is represented by three crosses 
at the words, ' May the peace of the Lord be al- 
ways with you/ " St. Thomas adds the follow- 
ing remarkable words: "We may for brevity's 
sake say that the consecration of this sacrament, 
and the acceptableness of this offering and the 
fruit thereof, proceed from the power of the 
cross of Christ ; and therefore the priest makes 
the sign of the cross whenever one of them is 
mentioned/' We may now in explaining the 
Canon dispense from returning to this simple 
yet sublime application. 



First Prayer of the Canon. 169 

After the Sanctus the priest lifts up his eyes, 
raises his hands heavenward, joins them, and 
bowing profoundly, his hands resting on the 
altar, says the following prayer : " We therefore 
humbly pray and beseech Thee, most merciful 
Father, through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Our 
Lord, that Thou wouldst accept and bless these 
* gifts, these * presents, these * holy unspotted 
sacrifices, which, in the first place, we offer 
Thee for Thy holy Catholic Church, which 
vouchsafe to pacify, guard, unite, and govern 
throughout the whole world, together with Thy 
servant, [N.], our Pope, [N.], our bishop, as also 
all orthodox believers and professors of the Cath- 
olic and Apostolic Faith." The first prayer of 
the Canon begins in Latin with the letter T, the 
same as the Thau of the Hebrews, which in its 
form represents the cross. No more appropriate 
sign could be prefixed to this prayer, during 
which Calvary's sacrifice is renewed. When 
the magnificent missals of old were written, en- 
riched with various flowers and designs, the 
thought came to adorn the letter T, and to have 
the figure of Christ on the cross, which it forms. 
By degrees these designs were enlarged, and 
finally represented the whole scene of the cruci- 



170 First Prayer of the Canon. 

fixion; the design, however enlarged, always 
formed the first letter of the prayer Te igitur. 
Ultimately the object was deemed of such im- 
portance as to require a separate picture. 
Hence nearly all the modern missals have be- 
fore the Canon a picture of the crucifixion. To 
conceive a clearer idea of this, we must remem- 
ber that in the Old Testament this letter is par- 
ticularly mentioned. Ezechiel (ch. ix.), speak- 
ing of the elect, says that all those whom God 
deigned to spare were to be marked upon their 
foreheads with the letter Thau. As the Israel- 
ites were saved by that sign, so were we re- 
deemed by the cross of Christ, having the form 
of a T. 

A piece of wood was placed over the cross, to 
which the inscription was attached, giving to 
the cross the form as we generally see it. The 
words of St. John, " Pilate wrote a title, and he 
put it upon the cross" (xix. 19), show sufficiently 
that it was no part of the cross proper, and con- 
sequently that the cross had the form of a T. 
This shows the importance of the first letter, 
with which the great prayer of the Canon 
begins. 

This prayer is addressed to the heavenly 



First Prayer of the Canon. 171 

Father, whom we call most merciful Father, be- 
cause He is indeed the Father of mercies and 
the God of all comfort (2 Cor. i. 3), always 
ready to listen to our feeble prayers, and more 
so when we pray to Him in union with the 
Church, through Jesus Christ, His Son, Our 
Lord. We pray and beseech Him with all ear- 
nestness that He may graciously receive and bless 
these gifts. To put more stress on his prayer, 
the priest kisses the altar and blesses the ele- 
ments, which are called gifts, offerings, and sac- 
rifices. These different appellations apply to 
the same thing, namely, to the bread and the 
wine, but in a different sense. Bread and wine 
are called gifts and offerings, inasmuch as they 
are material elements, which we consecrate to 
God; sacrifices in reference to the consecration, 
which will consummate the oblation. 

After blessing the offerings, the priest continues 
with hands extended, and prays first for the 
Church ; no prayer could be more acceptable to 
God. The priest prays that God may grant unity 
to the Church, as He wishes that she be one: 
"One is my dove" (Cant. vi. 8). We pray that 
she may remain one, that nothing may tear 
asunder the seamless garment of Christ. In the 



172 First Prayer of the Canon. 

Lord's Prayer Christ teaches us that the honor 
and glory of God must be paramount; here He 
is honored in the first place in the person of His 
bride. We ask for her true peace, that she may 
be guarded and rightly governed throughout the 
world. Each Mass therefore benefits the whole 
Church, all the members participate in it; 
therefore they also are distinctly mentioned. In 
the first place, the vicar of Jesus Christ upon 
earth. The priest, when pronouncing the name 
of the reigning Pontiff, bows his head to honor 
Jesus Christ in His vicar. Next to the Pope's 
name comes that of the bishop in whose diocese 
the Mass is offered. Finally, not to omit any 
one, the Church speaks of all the faithful adher- 
ents of the true faith. We must profess that 
faith to be included among those who are here 
mentioned; we must profess the Catholic faith, 
which comes down to us from the apostles. The 
Church does not pray here for those who do not 
profess that Catholic and apostolic faith. The 
faithful children of the Church have a share in 
all the Masses which are offered in the whole 
world. Were the holy sacrifice of Mass to cease, 
we would immediately fall back into the horrors 
of paganism ; this will be the w r ork of the Anti- 



First Prayer of the Canon. 173 

christ at the end of the world. He will, as 
Scripture foretells, do all in his power to hinder 
and prevent the offering of Mass; and when, 
with God's permission, his power shall have suc- 
ceeded against the continual sacrifice, then the 
days of grief will come, and God will ultimately 
destroy the world, there being no longer a reason 
for its continuance. This should not astonish 
us, since for God it is the sublimest work. He 
cannot ignore the voice of that blood, speaking 
a thousand times better than that of Abel. We 
must, with regard to the Blessed Eucharist, take 
well into consideration these three things, viz. : 
the sacrifice, by which we honor God ; the sacra- 
ment, by which Jesus becomes the nourishment 
of our souls; and the possession of the God-Man, 
whom for our consolation we can adore during 
our earthly captivity. The sublimest of all is 
the sacrifice; and when these three acts are 
united they constitute perfection, and this is 
what the Lord desired w r hen instituting the 
Blessed Eucharist. 

Formerly in the first prayer of the Canon, 
after mentioning the bishop, the king was 
named; but since the correction of the Missal 
by Pius V. this is omitted ; differences in relig- 



174 First Prayer of the Canon. 

ion, since the so-called Reformation, among the 
crowned heads led to this. There are, however, 
a few Catholic countries where, by special per- 
mission of the Holy See, the king or emperor is 
named. 



CHAPTER XVII. 



FROM THE COMMEMORATION OF THE LIVING 
TO THE SECOND PRAYER. 

The following is the literal translation of the 
Memento for the Living : " Remember, O Lord, Thy 
servants and handmaids [N. and N.], and all here 
present, whose faith and devotion are known to 
Thee, for whom we offer or who offer up to Thee 
this sacrifice of praise, for themselves and all per- 
taining to them, for the redemption of their souls, 
for the hope of their salvation and well-being, 
and who pay their vows unto Thee, the eternal 
God, living and true." This prayer was formerly 
called diptych prayers. Diptychs were, with the 
Greeks and Romans, lead, ivory, or wooden 
writing-tablets, the two leaves of which could be 
folded together, and on these the first Christians 
inscribed the names of bishops and other supe- 
riors, of benefactors, and of the departed. There 
were diptychs for the living and diptychs for the 



176 Commemoration of the Living. 

dead. The names were read during Mass; but 
this reading, as far as place, time, and person 
were concerned, was not the same in ail countries. 
In the Roman Church the names of the living 
were read at the beginning of the Canon ; the 
names of the dead after the Consecration. Grad- 
ually, however the list of the names inscribed 
became so long that, in order not to lengthen 
the religious services, which the fervor of the 
first Christians had already made long enough, 
it was decided not to inscribe on the diptychs 
any but the names of the greatest benefactors. 
This, however, proved insufficient, for even this 
list assumed undue proportions. Subsequently, 
in order not to prolong the services, the diptychs 
were placed on the altar, and the people prayed 
for all those whose names were inscribed there- 
on. Finally, for good reasons this practice was 
abandoned and was changed into the commemo- 
ration as we have it now. In many parochial 
churches the names of those who desire to have 
a Mass said for them in the course of the week 
are read on Sundays from the pulpit; this is 
an evident relic of the former reading of the 
diptychs. 

The priest says; "Remember, O Lord!" — not 




C0PYRIGHT-I896 Br BENZIGE R. BROTHERS 



AT THE MEMENTO FOR T6E LIVING. 



Commemoration of the Living. 177 

that God can forget, but to beseech Him that, 
mindful of His infinite mercy, He may grant us 
the favors requested. " Remember, O Lord, Thy 
servants and handmaids/' so prays the priest, 
for all those whom the Church calls her own, 
with the humble feelings wherewith the Blessed 
Virgin exclaimed at the message of the angel : 
" Behold the handmaid of the Lord." The priest 
then joins his hands and remembers in silence 
those whom he desires to recommend to God in 
a particular manner. First he prays for the 
Church in general, for the Pope, the bishop, and 
all orthodox Christians; now he recommends to 
God in a particular manner his parents, his 
friends, and his benefactors. Although the 
fruits of the holy sacrifice of Mass are infinite in 
themselves, yet they are applied chiefly to those 
for whom a special prayer is offered. Tradition 
has it that the priest was always allowed to pray 
in particular for those in whose welfare he took 
a greater interest, without any detriment to those 
for whose intention the Mass is offered. This 
explains why it is a great honor, a great bless- 
ing to parents to be allowed to consecrate a 
son to the service of the altar; for they know 

that they have a special share in the fruits of 
12 



178 Commemoration of the Living. 

all the Masses which their son will offer to 
the Almighty; such a son does not forget his 
parents. 

After a short prayer for those whom the priest 
wishes to recommend to God in a particular way, 
he continues with extended hands, and prays in 
particular for all present. "Hence it follows," 
says Pope Innocent III., "how holy and salutary 
it is to assist at Mass, because it is offered in 
a special manner for those present." But in 
order to partake of the fruits of the sacri- 
fice, we should hear Mass with faith and devo- 
tion, with attention and becomingly, because the 
priest says : " Whose faith and devotion are 
known to Thee." The priest cannot speak to 
God in these terms of those Christians who be- 
have in church as they do elsewhere, who seem 
not to care about what is done for them on the 
altar, and whose sole thought seems to be to 
divert themselves in a more or less unbecoming 
way. Those who are unable to assist at holy 
Mass may nevertheless partake of its fruits by 
uniting themselves to it, and desiring, were it 
possible, to assist at it with faith and devotion. 
The priest recommends to God the interests of 
the whole Church; he prays with extended 



Commemoration of the Living. 179 

hands, like the Saviour on the cross, who offered 
His sacrifice for all mankind. " The words, 
'For whom we offer Thee or who offer Thee,' 
clearly show," says St. Peter Damian, "that all 
the faithful, men and women, offer this sacrifice of 
praise to God ; although it might appear that the 
priest alone offers it" (Lib. Dom., vol. i. cap. viii.). 

Holy Mass is called here a sacrifice of praise ; 
although this is generally applied to the Psalms, 
yet it may be said with greater force of the 
Mass, which is the most sublime glorification of 
God. The sacrifice is offered for all those whom 
the priest has named; it benefits not only those 
present, but alh those whom they recommend to 
God; it is useful for body and soul. In union 
with the priest, the faithful ask for themselves 
and theirs all desirable spiritual and temporal 
blessings. They first pray for the redemption 
of their souls, which Mass brings about, because 
it is a propitiatory sacrifice. Holy Mass applies 
to the souls the merits of the Redeemer, that 
they may be purified from all stain and be found 
worthy to enter into the temple of eternal glory. 
The soul will enjoy perfect redemption and per- 
fect happiness after its reunion with the body 
on Judgment Day. The faithful therefore offer 



180 Commemoration of the Living. 

the sacrifice for the redemption of their souls, 
that is, to appease God's wrath and thereby to be 
preserved from all evil of sin and punishment. 
The holy Mass opens the treasures of God's 
mercy ; the faithful offer it therefore " for the 
hope of their salvation," that is, to obtain from 
God all spiritual favors, grace in time and glory 
in eternity. For well-being we are to understand 
here, not only health of the body, but also hap- 
piness and success in temporal concerns. The 
diptych prayer ends with the words: "Who 
. . . pay their vows unto Thee." We must 
remark that the word votnm does not always 
in ecclesiastical language mean vow ; it means 
also an offering, and in this sense it should be un- 
derstood here. This is therefore a repetition of 
the preceding " who offer to Thee this sacrifice 
of praise;" and whereas we have nothing from 
ourselves which we can give to God, by this 
offering we simply render to Him what He has 
given us. Although votum has to be understood 
here of the sacrificial elements, yet it means also 
a vow, because, as St. Augustine explains (Ep. 
149 ad Paul), we promise what we offer to God, 
especially the oblation on the altar; we thereby 
renew and profess a promise which we made be- 



Commemoration of the Living. 181 

fore, and by which we resolve to abide in Christ, 
as members of His mystic body. 

The Church militant has now recommended to 
God the Vicar of Christ on earth, the bishop of 
the diocese, and in general all Catholics ; in the 
third part of the first prayer the priest mentions 
another class of persons, who do not belong to the 
Church militant but to the Church triumphant. 
The Church knows that those who have already 
entered celestial glory are not separated from 
her, but ever remain united with her. The 
Church is divided into the Church militant, the 
Church suffering, and the Church triumphant, 
yet is always the same Church. During Mass 
therefore we present ourselves before God in 
company not only of the saints on earth, but also 
of the saints in heaven. This idea is expressed 
in this third part : " Communicating with and 
honoring in the first place the memory of the 
ever-glorious Virgin. Mary, Mother of our Lord 
and God, Jesus Christ, as also of the blessed apos- 
tles and martyrs, Peter and Paul, Andrew, James, 
John, Thomas, James, Philip, Bartholomew, Mat- 
thew, Simon, and Thaddeus, Linus, Cletus, Clem- 
ent, Xystus, Cornelius, Cyprian, Lawrence, Chry- 
sogonus, John and Paul, Cosmas and Damian, 



1 82 Commemoration of the Living. 

and of all Thy saints, through whose merits and 
prayers grant that we may be always defended 
by the help of Thy protection. Through the 
same Christ Our Lord. Amen." 

This third part of the first prayer of the Canon 
has for a title in the missal, Infra Actionem (" Dur- 
ing the Action"). The holy sacrifice of Mass is 
an action indeed ; it is the real renewal of what 
Christ did at the Last Supper; it is the greatest, 
most sublime, and holiest action. On five great 
feast-days of the ecclesiastical year, viz., Christ- 
mas, Epiphany, Easter, Ascension, and Pente- 
cost, this prayer is slightly altered, particular 
mention being made of the mystery which the 
Church celebrates that day. This prayer is 
called also Communicantes, because it begins 
with that Latin word. We form a communion 
with the saints in heaven in four different ways. 
First, in faith, because we believe what they 
have believed regarding the Holy Eucharist. 
Secondly, in hope, because we hope what they 
looked for and now enjoy in full security. 
Thirdly, in charity, because it is the prerogative 
of charity to be increased and made perfect 
where faith and hope cease. Fourthly, in the 
receiving and offering of the same mystery 



Commemoration of the Living. 183 

which was their strength in life and their Viati- 
cum for the journey to the heavenly fatherland. 
The Church in venerating the memory of the 
saints follows the prescriptions made to the Jew- 
ish priests in the Old Testament. When the 
priest entered into the Holy of Holies he had 
with him the names of the twelve tribes written 
on his Rationale: the priest of the New Testa- 
ment also venerates the memory of the Blessed 
Virgin, of the twelve apostles, and of twelve 
martyrs. The place of honor undoubtedly be- 
longs to the Mother of God, because she sur- 
passes angels and men and all creation. She it 
was who gave to the Second Person of the 
Blessed Trinity the body and blood which He 
offered for us on the cross, and even now daily 
offers on thousands of our altars. She it was 
who was honored above all other creatures. 
She it was in whom stainless purity was united 
to divine fecundity. No wonder then that the 
Church venerates in the first place the memory 
of the Virgin Mother. Then follow the apostles, 
who were witnesses of the institution of the holy 
sacrifice of Mass, who first received power and 
command to offer it to God, who first used the 
authority conferred on them, and to whom we 



184 Commemoration of the Living. 

owe the principal ordinances regarding the cele- 
bration of holy Mass, Next come the holy 
martyrs, twelve in number, to wit, five popes, one 
bishop, one deacon, and five laymen, who were 
particularly honored in the first ages of Christian- 
ity, and this explains their mention in the Canon. 
The names of the apostles are not given in the 
same order that they occur in Holy Scripture re- 
specting their selection to the apostolate. The 
apostles were the chosen missionaries who, as 
vicegerents of Christ, were to continue the work 
of Christ. We add a few edifying traits from 
the life and death of the saints mentioned in the 
Canon. 

First come St. Peter and his inseparable com- 
panion in the ecclesiastical liturgy, St. Paul. 
Peter, or Simon, as he was first called, was born 
at Bethsaida, a little town on the western shore 
of Lake Genesareth. The Lord raised him from 
a common fisherman to be chief of the apostles, 
and His vicar for the universal Church. He was 
the first to preach the faith of Christ; and, after 
having journeyed through many countries, he 
established his see in the centre of the heathen 
world, in the city which was destined to be the 
capital of Christianity. After a life of self-sacri- 



Commemoration of the Living. 185 

fice for the salvation of souls, he died the death 
of a martyr, June 29th, in the year 67 of our era. 
The bloodthirsty Nero had condemned him to be 
crucified. Peter, deeming himself unworthy to 
die in the same manner that his divine Master 
died, begged to be crucified head downward. 

Paul, formerly called Saul, was born in the mer- 
cantile town of Tarsus, and possessed the rights 
of a Roman citizen. While still young he came 
to Jerusalem, where he studied under the famous 
Gamaliel. When the persecution broke out at 
Jerusalem against the Christians, Saul was one 
of the most furious persecutors. On the way to 
Damascus, whither he went to accomplish his 
nefarious plans, the Lord awaited him, and 
through a wonder of His mercy made of Saul a 
vessel of election, a chosen apostle. During the 
twenty years which he lived after his conversion, 
he crossed about thirty countries and islands to 
spread the Christian religion, exposing himself 
to all sorts of crosses and trials, till at the end 
he obtained the palm of martyrdom by being 
beheaded at Rome, in the fourteenth year of 
Nero's reign, on the same day that St. Peter was 
crucified. 

Andrew was a brother of Simon and a disciple 



1 86 Commemoration of the Living, 

of St. John the Baptist. When John on one 
occasion referred to Our Saviour by saying : " Be- 
hold the Lamb of God," Andrew followed Him 
and brought also his brother Simon to Him. 
After the Ascension of Christ, Andrew went to 
Scythia, and subsequently travelled over Epirus 
and Thracia, everywhere making innumerable 
converts to Christ by his words and wonders. 
At Patras, a city of Achaia in Greece, he was to 
meet his executioner. ^Egeus, the proconsul, 
could not bear to see so many embrace the faith 
of Christ by the preaching of the apostle, and 
after satirizing the death of the Saviour he 
ordered the apostle to sacrifice to the gods. To 
this Andrew gave this memorable reply regard- 
ing the mystery of our altars : " I offer daily on 
the altar to the Almighty, who is the one and 
true God, not the flesh of oxen or the blood of 
goats, but the immaculate Lamb; and after all 
the faithful have partaken of its flesh, the Lamb 
always remains whole and living." After An- 
drew, who may rightly be called the apostle of 
the cross, had with holy liberty replied to the 
satire of ^Egeus, he was condemned to the death 
of the cross. For two days he remained alive 
hanging on the cross, never ceasing to preach 



Commemoration of the Living. 187 

the faith of Him whose follower he desired to 
be in His death, as the Church says in the office 
of the saint. 

James, called the Major, was the brother of 
St. John and a son of Zebedee. He was one of 
the privileged disciples of Jesus ; he was present 
with Peter and John at the raising to life of the 
daughter of Jairus, at the glorious transfiguration 
of Christ on Thabor, and at His agony on Mount 
Olivet. After the Ascension of Christ, James 
first preached the Gospel in Judea and Samaria, 
whence he went afterwards to Spain. He was 
the first of the apostles to drink, by his death, 
the chalice of the Lord. Nine or ten years after 
the death of Our Saviour, he was beheaded at 
Jerusalem by Herod Agrippa, during the reign of 
the Emperor Claudius. 

John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was more 
favored by Our Lord than the other apostles, on 
account of his virginal chastity. He it was who, 
at the solemn moment of the institution of the 
Holy Eucharist, rested on Jesus' bosom, and 
drew plentifully light and love from Jesus' 
sacred heart. On Calvary he was to receive 
another mark of Jesus' predilection towards him. 
Hanging on the cross, the Saviour recommended 



1 88 Commemoration of the Living. 

to him what was dearest to His heart, His own 
blessed Mother. He practised his apostolate in 
Palestine, but later on we find him at Ephesus. 
Under the Emperor Domitian he was dragged to 
Rome, where he was thrown into a vessel of 
boiling oil, but, through the particular protection 
of the Almighty, he came out unharmed and 
more vigorous than he was before. The tyrant 
sent him afterwards into captivity on the island 
of Patmos, where he wrote the Apocalypse. 
St. John outlived all the other apostles. He is 
not only apostle and martyr, but also evangelist 
and prophet. 

Thomas, called also Didymus, was the last 
to believe in the Resurrection of Our Lord. 
Thanks to the loving condescension of Our 
Saviour towards him, taking occasion of his in- 
credulity to heal the wounds of infidelity in our 
souls, St. Thomas became a foremost defender 
of the true faith. After the Ascension of Our 
Lord, he announced the joyful tidings to the 
Parthians, the Medes, and the Persians, and even 
penetrated into distant India, where his memory 
is held in the highest esteem. On his way 
thither he, as an old tradition claims, baptized 
the three kings. Having there spread the Chris- 



Commemoration of the Living. 189 

tian faith with wonderful success, he was by 
order of a heathen king pierced with a lance, 
or, according to others, stoned to death. 

James the Less was a relative of Our Lord, and 
was therefore called His brother. He was the 
only one of the apostles who did not preach the 
faith to the heathens. He was appointed by St. 
Peter first bishop of Jerusalem. Such was the 
holiness of his life that he was called the Just, 
and men deemed it a blessing to touch the hem 
of his garment. At the age of ninety-six, he 
was stoned by the Jews, and precipitated from 
the pinnacle of the temple. Lying half dead on 
the ground, he prayed God to forgive his exe- 
cutioners, and finally his head was cleft with 
a fuller's stick. The frightful destruction of 
Jerusalem, at the time of Titus, was by many 
considered a just punishment for the inhuman 
treatment of the holy and innocent apostle. 

Philip was the fourth to be called by Our Sav- 
iour to the apostolate. He was born at Beth- 
saida. He brought Nathanael to Jesus. How 
confidently Our Lord conversed with Philip is 
clearly shown in Holy Scripture. When the 
heathens wished to see Jesus, they first addressed 
themselves to Philip. It was also Philip to 



190 Commemoration of tlie Living. 

whom the Lord said before the multiplication of 
loaves in the desert : " Wherewith shall we buy 
bread to feed the multitude?" He preached the 
Gospel in Scythia, and ended his apostolic life 
at Hieropolis, a city of Phrygia, He was tied 
to a cross and stoned. The cross of St. Philip 
was of the same form, as that of the Saviour, 
representing a Latin T. 

Bartholomew seems to have been the only one 
among the apostles of noble birth and a philoso- 
pher. He preached the Gospel in Arabia Felix, 
in India, and in Greater Armenia. Here he 
converted the king with his wife, and twelve 
cities. This excited the rage of the pagan 
priests against him. They secured for their 
nefarious plans the co-operation of the king's 
brother. He caused the apostle to die the most 
cruel death imaginable. With inhuman ferocity, 
at Albanopolis, he had him flayed alive and then 
beheaded. 

Matthew was called at Capharnaum by Our 
Saviour to follow Him ; he was before his call 
a receiver of customs. After the Ascension of 
Our Lord, before beginning his apostolic career, 
Matthew wrote his gospel in Hebrew, for the use 
of the Jews especially. Then he departed for 



Commemoration of the Living. 191 

Ethiopia, where by a miracle he converted the 
king, the queen, and the whole province. He 
raised to life the daughter of the king, and in- 
duced her to consecrate her virginity to God. 
This, however, was too much for Hortacus, who 
had proposed for the hand of Iphigenia. He had 
the apostle put to death by the sword, while he 
was at the altar celebrating the holy mysteries. 

Simon and Thaddeus were brothers of James 
the Less, as is generally believed ; others, how- 
ever, assert that Simon was only a relative of 
Thaddeus and James. His zeal in spreading the 
faith earned for him the name of Zelotes, or the 
Zealous. He preached the Gospel in Egypt and 
Persia, where in the reign of Emperor Trojan 
he was sawed in two. Thaddeus, who is also 
called Judas, wrote a catholic epistle, in which 
he particularly exhorts the faithful to persevere 
in the right path, by placing before them the 
terrible example of the fallen angels and the 
horrors of the judgment to come. He preached 
the Gospel in Mesopotamia and in Persia, where 
he met St. Simon, and where he died a glorious 
death by being pierced with arrows. 

The name of St. Matthias, who was elected 
in the place of Judas Iscariot, is intentionally 



192 Commemoration of the Living. 

omitted in order not to exceed the mystic num- 
ber of twelve. This is a figure of the universal- 
ity of the Church of Christ, which in its unity 
of faith in the triune God extends to the four 
extremities of the earth, — a striking imitation 
of the heavenly Jerusalem, which St. John so 
beautifully describes in his Apocalypse (chap, 
xxi.). The heavenly Jerusalem has four walls 
and in each of them three gates, to admit at all 
times all peoples through Baptism in the name 
of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy 
Ghost. These twelve gates were on foundations 
upon which were inscribed the names of the 
twelve apostles of the Lamb. So are also the 
apostles the foundation of the Church of Christ ; 
for this reason is the Church apostolic. 

To the twelve apostles are added an equal 
number of martyrs. 

Linus, successor of St. Peter, was born at Vol- 
terra in Italy. He governed the Church twelve 
years, and was put to death by Saturninus, whose 
daughter he had previously delivered from the 
devil. He was buried beside St. Peter. During 
the Pontificate of Urban VIII., a sarcophagus 
was discovered, bearing this plain inscription : 
" Linus." 




COPYRIGHT- 1896 BY BENZIGER BROTHERS. 



AT THE HANC IGITUR, 



Commemoration of the Living. 193 

Cletus succeeded Linus in the Papal office. 
Other writers claim that St. Clement was the 
third Pope. Although the desire to be a bishop 
is praiseworthy, yet St. Cletus would accept 
such an onerous dignity only upon the continued 
solicitation of St. Clement, whom St. Peter him- 
self had selected as his successor. He received 
the crown of martyrdom under the Emperor 
Domitian. 

Clement succeeded to Cletus and governed the 
Church from 91 to the end of the first century. 
St. Irenaeus writes of him: "The third after St. 
Peter in the Roman episcopal see was Clement, 
who had seen the apostles Peter and Paul and 
had listened to their preaching." St. Paul calls 
him one of his colaborers, whose names are 
written in the book of life. He was banished 
by the Emperor Trajan, and in the place of his 
exile he suffered greatly for want of water. 
Clement prayed, and suddenly on a hill a lamb 
appeared, from under whose front feet a stream 
of clear water flowed. This miracle opened the 
eyes of a great many. Trajan then ordered the 
holy Pope to be thrown into the sea with a heavy 
anchor fastened about his neck. The Christians 
on the shore fell upon their knees and prayed, 
13 



194 Commemoration of the Living. 

and behold! the sea receded three thousand 
steps, and in the depth there was a temple of 
marble, built by angels, wherein was found the 
body of the saint. It appears that his relics 
were afterwards taken to Rome by SS. Cyril and 
Methodius. 

In the first three centuries of Christianity 
there were two holy Popes named Xystus. It is 
generally admitted that the saint whose name 
is mentioned in the Canon is Xystus II. ; the 
Church celebrates his feast on August 6th. He 
was a Greek by birth, and ruled the Church dur- 
ing the stormy days of the persecution of Vale- 
rian, who also put him to death. If in the 
Canon the order of succession of the Popes had 
been observed, Xystus would have come after 
Cornelius; but the order was here purposely 
inverted in order not to separate Cornelius 
from Cyprian, names which are always united 
in the ecclesiastical service. Possibly also the 
name of Cornelius was inscribed in the Canon 
later. 

Cornelius ascended the throne of Peter in the 
year 251. He was the twentieth Pope. He was 
exiled to Civita Vecchia, where he died the death 
of a martyr, September 14th, 252; the same day 



Commemoration of the Liviiig. 195 

on which, six years later, Cyprian was martyred 
at Carthage. Their feast is celebrated on Sep- 
tember 1 6th. 

Cyprian was born of pagan parents, and passed 
many years in the darkness of heathenism, but 
once converted he endeavored with all his 
might to make up for the past. After his con- 
version in 245, he distributed all he possessed to 
the poor, and passed his time in prayer and in 
the study of the sacred sciences. Three years 
later he was raised to the episcopal see of Car- 
thage. He was beheaded on September 14th, a 
few weeks after the death of SS. Xystus and 
Lawrence. 

Lawrence is one of those saints who are held 
in the highest esteem by all nations. St. Leo 
the Great tells us in a discourse on the feast-day 
of that saint: "As Jerusalem was glorified by 
Stephen, so has Rome been glorified by Law- 
rence." Xystus II. appointed him archdeacon. 
The glorious confession of St. Lawrence is too 
well known to be repeated here. He was slowly 
roasted on a gridiron. The Emperor Constan- 
tine erected over his grave the splendid basilica 
of Lawrence outside the walls. It is one of the 
seven principal churches of Rome, 



196 Commemoration of the Living. 

Next follow in the Canon the names of five 
laymen : 

Chrysogontis converted in Rome a number of 
heathens to the true faith, and numbered among 
his disciples St. Anastasia, whose adviser and 
consoler he was in the midst of the most cruel 
persecutions which she had to endure for the 
faith. During the reign of the tyrant Diocle- 
tian, he was taken a prisoner, then exiled to 
Aquileia, and finally beheaded in the year 304. 

John and Paul were brothers ; they held high 
positions at the court of St. Constantia, daughter 
of Constantine the Great. They were merciful 
men indeed. The successor of Constantine, 
Julian the Apostate, desired to incorporate them 
among his servants and have them sacrifice to 
the gods, but they indignantly rejected his pro- 
posal. To revenge himself, Julian had them 
put to death by the sword. 

Cosmas and Damian were also brothers, born 
of a noble race in Arabia. They were uni- 
versally esteemed on account of their knowledge 
of medicine and their irreproachable life. Their 
disinterested charity won the hearts of a great 
many to the true faith. After many sufferings, 
they were finally beheaded at ^Egea, It is gen- 



Commemoration of tlic Living. 197 

erally admitted that these two brothers are men- 
tioned in the Canon; but, as there are three 
other saints of the same name, it is not ab- 
solutely certain. According to some, Cardinal 
Bona among them, the saints mentioned in the 
Canon were Italians, who died martyrs some 
time before these two brothers, and after whom 
these were probably named. 

With these the Church closes the list of saints 
mentioned in this part of the Canon. She rec- 
ommends herself, however, to God through the 
merits of all the saints. It is related that Con- 
stantine the Great while visiting Csesarea asked 
Bishop Eusebius what he could do for his 
church. Eusebius replied: "Lord, my church 
is rich enough, but I beg you to send messengers 
to other parts of the world to find out the names 
of the saints and the time of their martyrdom." 
The emperor complied with the bishop's request ; 
it was found that for every day of the year 
there were more than five thousand saints, ex- 
cept for the first day of January, because on that 
day the pagans celebrated their feasts and left 
the Christians more or less in peace. If the 
saints were so numerous during the first three 
centuries of Christianity, they must be almost 



198 Commemoration of the Living. 

innumerable now. We ask God at the end of 
this prayer that by the merits and the interces- 
sion of that innumerable host of saints we may 
continually enjoy His protection. The priest 
then joins his hands and ends the prayer with 
these words: " Through Christ Our Lord. 
Amen." He himself answers Amen, because 
his voice will not be heard again by the congre- 
gation till the Pater Noster. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 



FROM THE SECOND PRAYER TO THE CON- 
SECRATION. 

The priest now extends his hands over the 
oblation and says the second prayer of the 
Canon: "We, therefore, beseech Thee, O Lord, 
graciously to accept this oblation of our servi- 
tude, as also of Thy whole family; and to dis- 
pose our days in Thy peace, preserve us from 
eternal damnation, and rank us in the number of 
Thine elect. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen." 
This prayer undergoes a slight change on three 
great feast-days of the year, viz. : on Holy 
Thursday, when special mention is made of the 
institution of the Blessed Eucharist; on Easter 
and Pentecost, when special prayers are offered 
for the newly baptized ; and also at the consecra- 
tion of a bishop. The beginning of the prayer 
indicates that it is connected with the preceding 
prayer and is a continuation of the same. We 
pray to God, not alone, but in union with all His 



2oo Second Prayer to the Consecration. 

saints. Full of confidence in their merits and 
intercession, we venture to address ourselves to 
God and ask Him graciously to receive these 
gifts from our hands. By this oblation we still 
designate bread and wine, destined to be changed 
into the body and blood of Christ. Bread and 
wine are here called " this oblation of our servi- 
tude and of Thy whole family." These words 
indicate, first, that the sacrifice is offered by the 
whole Church, by priests and faithful and for 
the common welfare. Two different meanings 
may further be attached to those words. Ac- 
cording to some, "this oblation of our servitude" 
regards those present, that is, the priest and all 
those who attend the Mass ; while the offering of 
"TI13- whole family" refers to all those who are 
absent but are in communion with the Church. 
Other writers understand by the first part the 
priest and the ministers at the altar, and by the 
second the faithful, chiefly those who participate 
in the sacrifice. Be that as it may, it is in either 
case more the offering of the priest than of the 
faithful, inasmuch as he has been called to offer 
to Him the propitiatory sacrifice and to act as 
mediator between God and men. As for the 
faithful, so likewise for the priest holy Mass is 



Second Prayer to the Consecration. 201 

"the oblation of our servitude;" because Mass 
is offered to God to acknowledge His infinite 
dominion over all creatures and to express our 
unworthiness. As creatures who are indebted 
for our existence to God, and are entirely de- 
pendent upon Him, we owe Him a particular 
service; we are obliged to honor Him, to adore 
Him ; in other words, to offer Him the homage 
of our servitude; this is the principal end of 
Mass, which is the most excellent act of religion. 

Priest and faithful then beg of God graces and 
blessings for time and eternity in virtue of the 
eucharistic offq^ing, not indeed in virtue of the 
bread and wine, but in virtue of the adorable 
body and blood of Christ into which these ele- 
ments will be changed. For this temporal life 
we ask that God may direct our days in His 
peace, and for eternity that we may be preserved 
from eternal damnation and be numbered among 
His elect. The request that God might dispose 
our days in His peace was inserted in this prayer 
by St. Gregory the Great, at the time the Lom- 
bards besieged Rome and the city was in the 
greatest danger. The Church has left un- 
changed the words of St. Gregory, written at 
the inspiration of the Holy Ghost. Three times 



202 Second Prayer to the Consecration. 

we ask peace of God, in order that, as Pope In- 
nocent III. remarks, "from the peace of time 
through the peace of heart we may be admitted to 
the peace of eternity We ask God that His peace 
may always guide us in the midst of the trials of 
this life, in order that, being delivered from the 
hand of our enemies, we may serve Him all our 
days in holiness and justice (Luke i. 74). The 
rest we only ask in so far as it may serve to 
attain that end. That peace itself must be a 
means to attain our last end, that is, eternal sal- 
vation, and be freed from eternal misfortune. 
By these three requests we acknowledge the 
threefold supremacy of God on earth, in heaven, 
and in hell. Heretics might object that the pur- 
pose of this prayer is altogether useless, since 
God from all eternity foresees who will be num- 
bered among His elect; a prevision which in 
any case will be realized. St. Thomas replies 
that we do not ask God that His ordinances may 
be changed, but that we may obtain through the 
prayers of the saints that what He has ordained 
may be fulfilled (2, 2 Qu. 83, art. 1 ad 2). It is 
certain that he only who shall have faithfully 
fought will be crowned, and that the just Judge 
will repay every one according to his merits. 



Second Praye?' to the Consecration. 203 

We live in the uncertainty of a sick man, for in- 
stance, uncertain of regaining his health; with 
the positive knowledge, however, that if he does 
not use the medicines prescribed he will not re- 
gain it, and with the well-grounded hope that 
he will recover if he seriously wills it. He 
only will be punished who does not use the 
means. We justly, therefore, ask God for the 
graces we need, that we may use the means 
towards attaining that end. We ask those graces 
through the merits of Him whom God cannot 
refuse, " through Our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen." 

While the priest says the foregoing prayer he 
holds his hands extended over the oblation ; this 
simple action has a very important meaning. 
This extending of the hands, in the Old as in the 
New Testament, is the figure of the translation 
of a thing, good or indifferent in itself, into an- 
other. We find this expressly mentioned in 
Leviticus viii. 14. After Moses, at the command 
of God, had anointed Aaron to be the high-priest, 
he immolated a calf as a propitiatory sacrifice for 
sin, " and when Aaron and his sons had put their 
hands upon the head thereof, he immolated it.'* 
The Israelites in general, and the acting priest in 
particular, knew that they were but miserable 



204 Second Prayer to the Consecration. 

sinners in the presence of God; that, as trans- 
gressors of the law of God, they were guilty of 
death ; the priest shows himself ready to suffer 
death to reconcile the offended majesty of God. 
But God does not desire the death of the sinner ; 
He had already forbidden the shedding of human 
blood (Gen. ix. 6). Besides, the death of the 
culprit could not give God adequate satisfaction. 
Sin is an infinite offence, which can only be 
atoned by an offering of infinite value. To 
do all in their power in order to be admitted 
to God's friendship again, the Israelites substi- 
tuted for themselves the life of an irrational ani- 
mal as a sacrifice. This animal, however, was 
not to be blamed for the sins of the people ; in 
order then that the immolation of it might be a 
propitiatory sacrifice for sin, it became necessary 
that it should be charged with the sins of man- 
kind, and this was done by the extending of the 
hands. In the New Law this figure has its fulfil- 
ment; during Mass, immediately before the Con- 
secration, and as a near preparation to the death 
of the Lamb, the priest lays his hands on the 
elements to signify that he presents an innocent 
offering instead of one that is guilty of death- 
For Jesus, the High-Priest and the Victim of the 



Second Prayer to the Consecration. 205 

New Law, has assumed our infirmities and taken 
our sufferings upon Himself. " He was wounded 
for our iniquities" (Is. liii.), and in His blood has 
prepared for us a salutary bath, wherein we may 
be cleansed from our sins. The priest now be- 
gins the great prayer, which includes also the 
essential part of the sacrifice, namely, the Conse- 
cration, and extends to the Commemoration of 
the Dead. Joining his hands, he says: "Which 
oblation do Thou, O God, we beseech Thee, 
vouchsafe to make in all things blessed, * ap- 
proved, * ratified, * rational, and acceptable : that 
it may become for us the body * and blood * of 
Thy dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ." 
We have already given the meaning of the five 
crosses, as explained by St. Thomas. 

Holy Mass is a sacrifice blessed in all respects. 
This is true, first, of the material elements which 
are on the altar before consecration ; they are 
separated from all worldly use, and after being 
sanctified by many blessings they are found 
w r orthy to be changed into the adorable body and 
blood of Our Lord. We now pray that God may 
vouchsafe to make this offering blessed in all 
respects, that is, that these lifeless elements may 
receive the highest possible blessing; in that 



206 Second Prayer to the Consecration, 

sense is consecration called by the holy Fathers 
a blessing. The sacrifice is also blessed because 
it is the renewal of the sacrifice of the cross, 
whereas the offerer and the offering are the 
blessed One who comes in the name of the Lord. 
The sacrifice is further blessed because it is to 
us a source of all blessings. 

Christ in holy Mass is the approved Victim. 
The interpreters of the Mass do not agree in the 
translation and signification of the Latin word 
adscript am. According to the learned Suarez, 
the word refers to what is written in Scripture 
about the consecration, that it is necessary for 
this offering to be such as was ordered and prom- 
ised by these words of the Saviour : " Do this in 
commemoration of Me." We may call adscript 
tarn that which is conformable to what is written. 
Holy Mass is an approved offering in the sense 
that, in as far as the substance is concerned, it 
perfectly agrees with the first Mass, celebrated 
by Our Lord Himself at the Last Supper. 

If Mass is offered according to the command 
of Christ, then it must necessarily be a ratified 
offering, that is, a true and valid offering. We 
pray God that the oblation may be ratified, that 
it may be a true and valid oblation, because it 



Second Prayer to the Consecration. 207 

would not be a true sacrifice if the consecration 
were not true and valid. On the cross the obla- 
tion was completed when Christ exclaimed : " It 
is consummated;" during Mass Christ is sacri- 
ficed as soon as the words of the consecration have 
been pronounced over the bread and the wine. 

We further ask God that this offering may be 
a rational offering. To understand the meaning 
of this, we must remember what the sacrifices 
of the Old Law were. They were generally 
goats and calves ; these ^victims had of course no 
efficacy except as figures of the sacrifice of the 
cross. The body and blood of Christ are on the 
altar the real sacrifice which makes all others 
superfluous, even useless. Holy Mass is a ra- 
tional sacrifice, because on the altar the eternal 
and uncreated Wisdom is sacrificed. 

If the holy sacrifice possesses these four quali- 
ties, it will necessarily be acceptable. What 
could be more pleasing to God than that human- 
ity united to the divinity, that beautiful and 
stainless soul, that blood which flows in the 
virgin body? We must remark that the priest 
does not pray that God in His omnipotence may 
change these material elements into the body 
and blood of Christ, but that this may be donq 



208 Second Prayer to the Consecration, 

for us ; that the consecration, or, in other words, 
the real sacrifice, may be profitable to us. The 
priest asks thereby that we may be blessed in all 
things through the grace of God; that we may 
be enrolled among the elect in the book of life; 
that we may be ratified and confirmed in the 
service of God ; that we may be rational, subject - 
ing body and passions to reason and reason itself 
to God ; in order that we may be also acceptable to 
God and be received some day into His heavenly 
kingdom. 



\ 




COPYRIGHT- 1696- BY BENZIGER BROTHERS. 



A.T THE ELEVATION OF THE HOST. 



CHAPTER XIX. 



THE CONSECRATION. 

All the preceding prayers and actions are a 
preparation to the Consecration. The moment of 
consecration is the most important, the most 
solemn, the most sublime moment of the Mass; 
Consecration is the consummation of the eucha- 
ristic sacrifice. By the words of consecration the 
substance of bread and wine is changed into the 
substance of the body and blood of Christ. This 
is the miracle of Him whose power knows no 
limits. But with this act of divine omnipotence 
a human act is also required, viz., the co-opera- 
tion of a lawful priest. At his ordination the 
priest receives power to pronounce the same 
words, which have also the same effect, whereby 
the Saviour changed bread and wine into His 
adorable body and blood. At the Last Supper 
Jesus was the only offerer; in holy Mass He 
offers Himself through the ministry of His 

priests. The priest at the altar is like another 
14 



2 IO 



The Consecration. 



Christ. It is manifest from all that precedes 
that the priest imitates as much as possible what 
the Saviour Himself did, according to the testi- 
mony of Holy Scripture ; at the moment of con- 
secration he proceeds still further and speaks in 
the person of Christ Himself, 

The priest now wipes the tips of his fingers on 
the altar-cloth, for the hands which in a moment 
will hold the King of glory cannot be too clean ; 
the soul of the priest should be pure from all 
stain. He then takes the bread in his hands and 
says: " Who the day before He suffered, took 
bread into His holy and venerable hands, and 
with eyes lifted up towards heaven unto Thee, 
O God, His almighty Father, giving thanks to 
Thee, did bless, * break, and gave unto His disci- 
ples, saying: ' Take and eat ye all of this. For 
this is My body/" 

Three evangelists, namely, Matthew, Mark, 
and Luke, and also St. Paul, in his First Epistle 
to the Corinthians, mention how Jesus performed 
this great mystery. Although all four do not 
exactly give the same words, they are one in as 
far as the essence is concerned. They tell us 
what the Saviour did at that awful moment and 
what the priests will do to the end of time. The 



The Consecration. 



211 



words which do not occur in Holy Scripture 
are of apostolic tradition, and are equally as cer- 
tain and as inspired by the Holy Ghost as Scrip- 
ture itself. On Holy Thursday, to the words 
"Who the day before He suffered" are added 
the following : (< for our salvation and that of 
all." What striking circumstance do not these 
words bring to our mind ! Jesus chooses the eve 
of His passion and* death, the night on which 
He will be betrayed, to give us, in the institution 
of the Blessed Sacrament, the most wonderful 
mark of His love. With a burning desire He 
had looked forward to this moment. Before 
shedding His blood in streams on the painful 
journey to Calvary, He instituted the Sacrament 
of the Altar for ungrateful men, that they might 
never forget what He had done and suffered for 
them. This circumstance of time was inserted 
in the Canon by Alexander I., the sixth suc- 
cessor of St. Peter. 

" Jesus took bread into His holy and venerable 
hands." At these words the priest also takes 
the bread into his hands. Holy and venerable 
indeed are the hands of Christ. How often were 
they not raised to His eternal Father and ex- 
tended over men to load them with blessings? 



212 



The Consecration. 



Such also must be the hands of the priest ; they 
were anointed at his ordination, but this is not 
sufficient : his works must correspond to the holi- 
ness required of him. 

" And with eyes lifted up towards heaven, unto 
Thee, O God, His almighty Father, giving 
thanks to Thee, did bless the bread." While 
the priest utters these words, to imitate as much 
as possible the example of the Saviour, he lifts 
his eyes to the cross, respectfully bows his head, 
and makes the sign of the cross over the host. 
These were the actions of Our Saviour at the 
institution of the Holy Eucharist. How un- 
founded therefore are the objections of certain 
heretics, who dare assert that the ecclesiastical 
ceremonies are inventions of popes and bishops. 
The Lord Himself has sanctioned many of them 
by His own example. In the desert, when He 
was about to multiply the loaves in order to feed 
the hungry multitude, He first lifted His eyes to 
heaven ; who would doubt that He did the same 
when instituting this spiritual banquet, although 
it be not expressed in Holy Scripture? We need 
not observe, however, that this uplifting of the 
eyes to His Father and this thanksgiving do not 
imply that the Son is less than the Father ; these 



The Consecration. 213 

are simply acts of homage from Humanity to 
the Divinity. He thanks His Father for the bless- 
ings which He has showered upon mankind, and 
this thanksgiving and blessing are preparatory 
to the substantial change of the elements. To 
operate this wonderful change, He acts as God 
in union with the Father and the Holy Ghost. 

" Broke and gave to His disciples, saying, 
' Take and eat ye all of this/ " The evangelists 
mention four different actions of the Saviour at 
the institution of the Holy Eucharist. First, He 
thanks His heavenly Father and then blesses the 
bread. These two actions and many blessings 
conveniently precede the Consecration. The 
Preface in particular is that solemn giving of 
thanks. After the Consecration the priest 
breaks the sacramental species, and distributes 
them to the faithful. 

The priest, bowing down before the altar, now 
pronounces as vicegerent of Christ, with profound 
respect and great attention, the words of conse- 
cration over the bread: " For this is My body." 
It is no longer bread, for under the remaining 
appearances of bread the body of Christ is now 
really present ; in a moment Divine Omnipotence 
has worked a miracle to which all other wonders 



214 The Consecration. 

of nature are insignificant. The little Host con- 
tains in itself more wonders, more riches and 
treasures than could be found in the rest of crea- 
tion. In the little Host is really present the 
body of Christ, not the passible body which He 
had on earth, but the glorified and immortal 
body which now shines in heaven, and in whose, 
veins flows the most precious blood ; that body 
vivified by the holiest soul and united with the 
divinity; in other words, Christ as He is now in 
heaven. The gates of heaven open, and Christ 
descends, surrounded by legions of angels, to 
veil Himself at the words which the priest pro- 
nounces, under the material appearances of 
bread. The priest may truthfully say: "I hold 
in my hands my Creator, my Saviour, and Su- 
preme Judge." No wonder then that he re- 
spectfully bows the knee to adore his Lord and 
Master, and desires to communicate these senti- 
ments to the faithful present ; therefore he ele- 
vates the sacred Host over his head that He, the 
Lord and Maker of all, may be adored by them 
also. 

The bread has been substantially changed 
into the body of Christ ; the wine remains still 
to be changed into His blood. The priest then 



The Consecration, 215 

pronounces the following words for the conse- 
cration of the chalice : " In like manner, after 
He had supped, taking also this excellent chalice 
into His holy and venerable hands and giving 
Thee thanks, He blessed and gave to His disci- 
ples, saying: 'Take and drink ye all of this: 
for this is the chalice of My blood of the new 
and eternal Testament: the mystery of faith, 
which shall be shed for you and for many tmto 
the remission of sins. As often as ye do these 
things, ye shall do them in remembrance of 
Me.'" 

" In like manner, after He had supped, taking 
also this excellent chalice into His . . . hands." 
At these words the priest takes the chalice into his 
hands and raises it a little. The Fathers of the 
Church, particularly St. John Chrysostom and 
St. Thomas Aquinas, are of opinion that Jesus 
first ate the Paschal lamb with His disciples, ac- 
cording to the prescriptions of the law. The 
Paschal lamb, as described in Exodus, chapter 
xii., was a figure of the real Paschal Lamb of 
the New Testament. At the Last Supper the 
shadow made place for the substance, the figure 
for the reality. After Our Lord had then eaten 
the mystic Paschal lamb with His disciples, He 



2l6 



The Consecration. 



changed the bread into His adorable body, and 
immediately afterwards the wine into His divine 
blood. Jesus then took this excellent chalice 
into His hands. The word chalice has three dif- 
ferent significations : i . Chalice is taken in Holy 
Scripture for passion. So we read in St. Mat- 
thew that, when the wife of Zebedee asked Our 
Saviour the first places in His kingdom for her 
sons, he answered : " Can you drink the chalice 
which I will drink?" Chalice in this passage 
means passion. 2. Chalice means also the ves- 
sel which contains the drink. 3. Finally, chalice 
means the drink which is contained in the chal- 
ice. During holy Mass the word chalice is taken 
in the second or third sense. When the priest, 
speaking of Christ, says that " He took this ex- 
cellent chalice into His hands," this has to be 
understood not of the vessel which the priest 
holds in his hands, nor of the composition of 
the chalice, because it is not proved that the 
Lord consecrated in a golden or silver chalice ; 
but it has to be understood of what is contained 
in the chalice, namely, the wine. The chalice 
on the altar and the chalice at the Last Supper 
resemble each other in so far— both contain the 
same drink, namely, wine; after the Consecra- 



The Consecration, 217 

tion there is no difference between the contents 
of both chalices ; then there is on the altar, as at 
the Last Supper, nothing in the chalice but the 
blood of Christ. The Church calls this chalice 
excellent, in reference to what it will soon con- 
tain ; because in virtue of the words, " For this 
is the chalice of My blood/' the wine is changed 
into the blood of Christ. The words that follow, 
although not necessary to operate this substan- 
tial change, are required, however, to complete 
the form. Theologians in general are of opin- 
ion that Our Lord Himself pronounced all these 
words; they show us the value and the opera- 
tions of the eucharistic offering. 

The blood which is now in the chalice is the 
"blood of the new and eternal Testament/' At 
the foot of Mount Sinai was confirmed, by the 
blood of animals, the Old Testament, the ordi- 
nances of which were earthly and were to last 
only for a time. By the blood of Christ a new 
Testament is entered upon and confirmed ; it is 
called eternal for two reasons : first, because the 
goods and blessings which it secures for us are 
heavenly and imperishable; secondly, because 
it will last unto the end of time. The words 
immediately following, "the mystery of faith," 



2l8 



The Consecration. 



refer to the unfathomable depths of the mysteries 
of the Mass. Faith alone makes it possible for 
us to believe that a God, after having shed His 
blood on the cross for miserable sinners, should 
continue to offer it for us on our altars. The 
concluding words of the second consecration, 
" which shall be shed for you and for many," 
present a seeming difficulty. Literally these 
words would signify that the blood of Christ 
would be shed for the apostles present with the 
Lord at table, and for many others. But faith 
teaches us that Christ died not for a few, but 
for all. Every difficulty disappears when we 
understand by many "the many" because the 
blood of Christ was really shed for all men. By 
many, however, may be understood also the 
elect only, because they only benefited by the 
shedding of that divine blood. Christ offered 
Himself even for Judas, but that man of perdi- 
tion did not co-operate with the grace offered 
him. 

Having pronounced the words of consecration 
over the chalice, the priest kneels respectfully 
to adore his God, hidden under the sacramental 
species. He then elevates the chalice so that He 
may be adored by the people. This ceremony 



The Consecration, 219 

is an outward profession of our faith in the mys- 
tery of the real presence of Christ in the Blessed 
Eucharist. The Church introduced this practice 
when certain heretics carried their ingratitude 
so far as to deny the words of Christ Himself. 
While the priest performs this ceremony he 
says: "As often as ye do these things, ye shall 
do them in remembrance of Me." By these 
words the Lord gave to His apostles and through 
them to all priests the power to do w T hat He had 
done. At the solemn moment of consecration it 
is not man who speaks, but Jesus Himself, who 
speaks through the ministry of man. The altar 
and what happens on it carry our thoughts to 
Calvary, and tell us what Victim God's justice 
demanded. This Victim was in Itself sufficient 
to redeem a thousand worlds like ours. Our 
Saviour willed, however, that this oblation should 
be perpetuated. He can die no more, yet, know- 
ing human weakness, He feared that the offer- 
ing of Calvary, once consummated, would make 
no lasting impression on the faithful. Men 
might consider it as a great historical fact, which 
even, perhaps, only a few would look up in the 
annals of the Church. Therefore He instituted 
this mystery of love, by which it became possi- 



22C 



The Consecration. 



ble to Him, although immortal and impassible, 
to sacrifice Himself for the salvation of men to 
the end of time. Jesus is on our altars as a 
sacrifice, not only because the separate conse- 
cration represents His real death on the cross, 
but rather on account of the state and the pur- 
pose of the body and blood of Christ under the 
sacramental species. Never was victim more 
really immolated than Our Saviour is after the 
words of consecration have been pronounced 
over the bread and the wine. He who is the 
glory of God, He in whose presence all creation 
is as a mere nothing, deigns to conceal Himself 
under the appearance of a little host. His life 
and His beauty, which make the joy of the 
angels, have no other purpose than to come 
unto us and be united with us. Who, at the 
consideration of these truths, would not burn 
with love for Him who gave Himself to us with- 
out reserve? 



CHAPTER XX. 



THE FIRST PRAYER AFTER THE CONSECRATION. 

The Consecration is the centre of the Mass. 
As many prayers and ceremonies precede it to 
prepare us for it, so the Church after Consecra- 
tion interweaves a beautiful crown of prayers 
and ceremonies, as a worthy sequence and con- 
clusion of the holy sacrifice of the Mass. The 
priest with extended hands then begins the fol- 
lowing prayer, which is composed of three parts : 

L " Wherefore, O Lord, we, Thy servants, as 
also Thy holy people, calling to mind the blessed 
passion of the same Christ, Thy Son, Our Lord, 
together w r ith His resurrection from the grave 
and also His glorious ascension into heaven, 
offer unto Thy excellent Majesty, of Thy gifts 
and presents, a pure * Host, a holy * Host, an im- 
maculate * Host, the holy * bread of eternal life 
and the Chalice * of everlasting salvation." 

II. "Upon which do Thou vouchsafe to look 
down with favorable and gracious countenance, 



222 The First Prayer after Consecration, 

and accept them, as Thou wert graciously pleased 
to accept the gifts of Thy just servant Abel, and 
the sacrifice of our patriarch Abraham, and that 
which Thy high-priest Melchisedech offered 
unto Thee, a holy sacrifice, an immaculate 
Host." 

III. "We humbly beseech Thee, O Almighty 
God : command these gifts to be carried by the 
hands of Thy holy angel to Thy sublime altar 
before the sight of Thy Divine Majesty, that as 
many of us as shall, by partaking at this altar, 
receive the most holy # body and * blood of Thy 
Son, may be enriched by every heavenly bless- 
ing and grace. Through the same Christ Our 
Lord. Amen." 

First Part. 

In the Apocalypse St. John relates that he 
saw in one of his visions the wonderful Lamb 
as immolated ; with more reason can we say 
the same of the Lamb of God after the words 
of consecration have been pronounced over 
the bread and the wine. Jesus indeed dies 
no more ; death has no longer dominion over 
Him ; yet He is sacrificed in a moral manner at 
each Mass by the sword of the consecrating 



The First Prayer after Consecration. 223 

words; He is as annihilated tinder the cover of 
the sacramental species. The blood is not seen 
flowing as it did on Calvary, but the same love 
which consumed Him on the cross now glows in 
His divine heart. On the cross He was His 
own Offerer ; on the altar we offer Him also, and 
so He is our offering. This offering, as we have 
remarked, is consummated by the words of con- 
secration. By the prayers and ceremonies that 
follow we confirm that offering; these prayers 
and actions add an accidental perfection, a 
greater brilliancy to the oblation. It is undenia- 
ble that this is most appropriate, since the living 
Sacrifice, Jesus Christ, is really present on the 
altar under the species of bread and wine. The 
first word of this prayer, " Wherefore/' explicitly 
indicates that this prayer is a consequence of 
what immediately precedes, as Cardinal Bona 
beautifully explains: " After Consecration the 
command of Christ is mentioned in all liturgies, 
whereby He orders that the same oblation 
should be offered for His remembrance. For 
who would dare approach the altar of God and 
celebrate these unspeakable mysteries, if the 
Lord, who instituted this sublime sacrifice, had 
not commanded it? Therefore has the Church, 



224 The First Prayer after Consecration, 

obeying the command of Christ, ordered that we 
should say as follows: i Wherefore, Lord/ " etc. 

"We, Thy servants, as also Thy holy people/' 
" We, Thy servants," applies to the priests ; " Thy 
holy people" to the faithful. In order well to 
understand why the Church here uses the plural, 
"We, Thy servants," we should remember that 
for many centuries, especially on great feast-days, 
the priests celebrated Mass together with the 
bishop. This practice prevailed still in the days 
of Pope Innocent III., as he himself testifies, and 
is even now observed in the Latin Church at the 
ordination of a priest or the consecration of a 
bishop, when the new priest or bishop celebrates 
together with the consecrating bishop and re- 
ceives holy communion from his hands. The 
priests are in a particular manner servants of 
God ; they are the privileged servants whom the 
Lord admits to His intimate friendship. The 
bishop at the ordination of a priest repeats the 
same words which the Lord spoke to His dis- 
ciples in His farewell address : " I will not now 
call you servants, but friends, because you know 
all whatsoever I have done in your midst." As 
the priests are the special servants of God, so are 
the true faithful the cherished people of God. 



COPYRlQHT- 1896 BY BENZIGER BROTHERS 
AT THE ELEVATION OF THE CHALICE. 



The First Prayer after Consecration. 225 

If in the Old Testament the Jewish people were 
called the chosen people of God, because the 
Lord favored them more than others, with all the 
more reason then can the Church call her chil- 
dren "God's own people." This, however, is not 
sufficient; the Church calls them a holy people, 
since by Baptism God has adopted them for His 
children, loaded them with graces, and poured 
upon them the spirit of sanctification ; they have 
only to co-operate with God to be really holy. 
Priests and faithful join in a grateful remem- 
brance of the Passion, Resurrection, and Ascen- 
sion of Christ. The Church reminds us of these 
three facts in preference to others, because these 
are necessary to give us an idea of Christ and 
His work on earth, as we have explained before. 
The Passion of Christ paid the price of our re- 
demption and overcame death ; the Resurrection 
of Christ inspires us with hope and confidence 
in our future resurrection ; the Ascension opens 
the gates of heaven, and shows us the way to 
our heavenly home. The bitter Passion of Our 
Lord is called in this prayer blessed Passion, 
because it was to us sinners the source of all 
blessings; blessed it is, not in itself but in its 

consequences. Penetrated with a grateful re- 
15 



226 The First Prayer after Consecration. 

membrance of the Passion, Resurrection, and 
Ascension of Our Lord, we present to the ex- 
cellent majesty of the eternal Father an offer- 
ing which we owe to His merciful kindness. 
The material elements, which by the words of 
consecration have been changed into the body 
and blood of Christ, are His gifts and presents. 
These words are none the less true when applied 
to Christ present under the sacramental species, 
because Christ Himself is a gift of God to hu- 
manity. During holy Mass we return to God 
what we have received from Him. Our offering 
is most worthy of the Almighty, because it is the 
clean oblation foretold by Malachias, which takes 
the place of all the sacrifices of the Old Law; it 
is a pure, holy, and immaculate offering, because 
it is the God of all purity and holiness Himself. 
The flesh of the God-Man is the bread of 
eternal life ; His blood the chalice of everlasting 
salvation ; both together are the holy banquet — 
" sacrum convivium" It was the intention of 
Our Saviour that this divine banquet was to be 
for us the great means whereby we are to attain 
our last end, eternal, salvation. He has more 
than once assured us that whosoever eats His 
flesh and drinks His blood shall have life 



TJie First Prayer after Consecration. 227 

eternal. While the priest says the above prayer, 
he makes five crosses over the oblation, and 
since this is after the Consecration the body and 
blood of Christ, the question obviously presents 
itself, why does the priest still bless the oblation 
which is the source of all blessings? Would the 
priest be presumptuous enough to bless Jesus 
Christ Himself? Certainly not. Before the Con- 
secration the priest blessed the bread, because 
he was empowered to do so. But it is not bread 
which he holds now in his hands; the Giver and 
Source of all graces is now present on the altar. 
And yet the priest blesses the oblation, not to 
make something holy of that which is unholy, 
but to show that this sacrifice is the same as the 
sacrifice of the cross, equally pure and holy; he 
makes the sign @f the cross separately over the 
body to signify that it is the same body which 
was crucified for us; and afterwards over the 
chalice to show that it contains the same blood 
which flowed for us on the cross. " The bless- 
ings which by crosses are made on the body of 
the Lord," says the eloquent Bossuet, " regard 
not this divine body, but only those who shall 
receive it; or should they refer to the body of 
Christ, then it is to signify the graces and bless- 



228 The First Prayer after Consecration. 

ings with which Jesus is filled, and which He 
desires to communicate to us plentifully, pro- 
vided our unfaithfulness make no obstacle; or 
finally we bless in Jesus Christ all His members, 
whom we offer in this sacrifice as forming one 
body with Jesus, that the blessings of the Head 
may abundantly be communicated to the mem- 
bers." It is easy to understand the crosses after 
Consecration when we keep in mind what St, 
Thomas says, that the consecration of this sacra 
ment and the acceptance of this offering with 
the fruit thereof proceed from the power of the 
cross, and therefore the priest makes the sign of 
the cross whenever mention is made of any of 
these. 

Second Part. 

In order to understand rightly the meaning of 
this second part, wherein we pray that God may 
graciously look down on the oblation we present 
to Him, we must recall to our mind what hap- 
pened at the Offertory. The priest then poured 
a drop of water into the wine ; mankind was rep- 
resented thereby, because it gave through Mary 
humanity to Jesus. The Church, that is, the 
gathering of all the faithful, is united with 



The First Prayer after Consecration. 229 

Jesus, even in the sacrifice, so that holy Mass is 
not only the offering of Jesus, but also of the 
Church and of us who are the members of His 
mystic body. In this sense the priest admon- 
ished the faithful before that His sacrifice might 
be acceptable to God the Father Almighty. By 
the Consecration Jesus offers Himself through 
the Holy Ghost and the co-operation of a visible 
priest to His heavenly Father for His honor and 
our salvation. He leaves Himself then to the 
Church, and the Church continues the sacrifice, 
that is, offers to the eternal Father the Lamb 
divine and immolated. To understand why we 
pray God to look down graciously on the Victim 
which He necessarily loves as Himself, we must 
consider that the Church offers and is offered 
with Christ. The value of the sacrifice depends 
not only upon the worthiness of the Victim but 
also upon the excellence of the one who sacrifices. 
So did God graciously look down upon the sac- 
rifice of Abel and reject that of Cain, because, 
as St. Cyprian says, " God did not consider their 
presents but their hearts/' so that the present 
of the one who pleased Him in his heart was also 
acceptable to Him. If we consider then the 
Church, the priest, and the faithful as co-offerers 



230 The First Prayer after Consecration. 

with Christ, we do not ask in vain that God may 
graciously look down upon the sacrifice which is 
also ours. By this we do not mean, of course, 
that our dispositions can add in any way to the 
value of the sacrifice, which of itself is infinite. 
No; the infinite cannot be increased or made 
more valuable; but that does not prevent God 
from receiving the infinite offering more gra- 
ciously from pure and holy hands, which offer no 
obstacles to the workings of the offering. There 
is no doubt but that the Church, or at least the 
priest and the faithful, may be differently dis- 
posed. Quite naturally then we pray to God not 
to take into account our unworthiness, but to re- 
ceive the offering graciously from our unworthy 
hands, that we may partake of its fruits. In the 
same light are to be understood the comparisons 
which the Church uses, imploring God graciously 
to accept the sacrifice. Between the sacrifices of 
Abel, Abraham, and Melchisedech and the holy 
sacrifice of the Mass, considering Christ alone as 
Victim and Priest, there is no more resemblance 
than between the finite and the infinite, the tem- 
poral and the eternal ; there is an infinite differ- 
ence between them. These comparisons must 
then be understood as expressing that our dis- 



The First Prayer after Consecration. 231 

positions should be similar to the dispositions of 
those holy patriarchs, not as conveying the idea 
that their offerings can in any way be compared 
with the value of the sacrifice of the Mass. The 
Church selects from the Old Testament the three 
most striking figures of the mystery of our altar. 
Abel offered the best lamb of his flock. St. 
Paul, writing about him in his Epistle to the 
Hebrews (xi. 4) says that by faith he "offered 
to God a sacrifice exceeding that of Cain; by 
which God gave him a testimony that he was 
just." Abel was indeed a servant of God. With 
faith and humble simplicity he offered to God a 
lamb, which was a figure of the divine Lamb 
that is daily sacrificed on our altars. Abel was 
murdered by his brother Cain; one more trait 
of resemblance between him and the innocent 
Jesus, whom His own people rejected and nailed 
to the cross. 

Abraham was chosen by God to be the father 
of all the faithful; we call him, therefore, in 
this prayer our patriarch. God had promised 
him that he would be the father of a numerous 
progeny, but his faith had first to be subjected 
to a severe trial. God tells him: "Take thy son 
and sacrifice him on the mountain which I will 



£32 The First Prayer after Consecration. 

show thee." Abraham obeys, and departs with 
the son whom he loved so tenderly. A real 
sacrifice was not required. God is satisfied with 
the readiness and resignation of the great pa- 
triarch ; his offering was only a spiritual offer- 
ing. God is pleased with it, and commands him 
to spare his son ; instead of the life of Isaac 
that of a dumb beast is sacrificed. Abel and 
Abraham are mentioned here in the sacrifice 
of Jesus Christ, who offered to His heavenly 
Father His life, His glory, all without reserve. 
The offering of Abel was the first bloody 
victim ; that of Abraham was unbloody and 
only spiritual, yet so pleasing to God that it 
made him worthy to be the head of the fam- 
ily of Christ, in whose veins flows the blood 
of the father of the faithful. The offering 
of Abraham, says St. John Chrysostom, was 
to be an unbloody offering, because it was 
to be a figure of the unbloody sacrifice of the 
New Law. 

In addition to the two foregoing sacrifices, 
mention is also made in this prayer of a third 
sacrifice, namely, that of the high-priest Mel- 
chisedech. It is the general opinion that Mel- 
chisedech was the first to offer bread and wine 



The First Prayer after Consecration. 233 

to the Almighty, to honor Him, and also to 
thank Him for the victory which Abraham had 
won. He distributed afterwards these sanctified 
offerings to Abraham and his soldiers. A beau- 
tiful figure of the sacrifice of the Mass! That 
this offering must have been acceptable to God 
appears from the fact that, when God chose to 
honor His Son, He tells Him: "Thou art a 
priest forever according to the order of Mel- 
chisedech" (Ps. cix. 4). Melchisedech offered to 
the Lord bread and wine; before the Consecra- 
tion there are also bread and wine on the altar; 
and after the Consecration, when the substances 
of bread and wine have been changed by a 
miracle the appearances remain. We can easily 
imagine with what sentiments of love and devo- 
tion the saints of the Old Law offered their 
sacrifices. The offerers of the New Law — the 
priests and the faithful — should endeavor not 
only to resemble those saints but to excel them, 
that God may graciously accept the sacrifice 
from their hands. The concluding words of 
this second part, "A holy sacrifice, an immacu- 
late Host," are considered by some as the object 
of "graciously pleased to accept;" by others as 
an apposition to the sacrifice of Melchisedech, 



234 The First Prayer after Consecration. 

which was a holy sacrifice, an immaculate host, 
not in itself, but in reference to the sacrifice of 
the New Law, of which it was a figure. 

Third Part. 

Bowing down profoundly before the altar, the 
priest says the third part, which presents 
greater difficulties than the two foregoing, 
chiefly because what the priest now asks cannot 
be taken in the literal sense of the words. 
When the priest says, " Command these [gifts] 
to be carried by the hands of Thy holy angel," 
these words cannot be interpreted as meaning a 
real translation to heaven of the body and blood 
of Christ, resting on the altar. By the demon- 
strative pronoun these we must understand the 
gifts, as explained in the second part, namely, 
not only the mystic body of Christ, that is, the 
faithful, with all they are and all they have, 
their prayers, trials, needs, etc., but also the real 
body and blood of Christ, inasmuch as they are 
our offering. To make it intelligible we must 
answer these two questions: i. Who is meant 
by this holy angel? 2. What is meant by God's 
sublime altar? The famous rubricist, Abbot 
Gueranger, is of opinion that the angel here 



The First Prayer after Consecration. 235 

mentioned is not an ordinary angel or archangel, 
not even a cherub or seraph, because they can- 
not grant the request of the priest. Angel 
means ambassador; the Son of God was, as He 
Himself says, sent by His Father. He is the 
Angel by excellence, the Angel of the Great 
Council, as Holy Scripture calls Him. This 
opinion will be further illustrated by the answer 
we give to the second question. Others, how- 
ever, are inclined to think that, although this 
interpretation may be the true one, it implies 
violence to the text to understand here by angel 
anything but a created being. What we ask 
God is not the work of His omnipotence, 
whereby bread and wine are changed into the 
body and blood of Christ — this has been done 
already by the words of consecration — but a work 
of mediation applicable also to the heavenly 
spirits. A numerous host of angels surrounds, 
undoubtedly, the altar w T hereon their Lord and 
King reposes ; it is not impossible that here the 
singular is used for the plural and that by angel 
all the heavenly spirits are meant who surround 
the altar. Should we take it in the literal sense, 
it would then be a mere conjecture further to 
determine the personality of that angel. Often 



236 The First Prayer after Consecration. 

in Christian tradition an angel is mentioned 
whose particular duty it is to present our prayers 
and sacrifices before the throne of God. Pos- 
sibly God has entrusted 10 an angel the par- 
ticular mission to bring the offering of priests 
and faithful before Him. Others understand by 
that angel the patron angel of the Church or 
of the altar on which the Mass is said; others 
again the guardian angel of the priest, or St. 
Michael, the guardian angel of the Holy Eucha- 
rist and of the Church militant. 

In answer to the second question, What is 
understood by God's sublime altar? it is impos- 
sible to give a definite reply. It is certain, how- 
ever, that in heaven there cannot be an altar, 
properly speaking, because there is no real sacri- 
fice as here below. St. John speaks in the 
Apocalypse of a heavenly altar, on which he 
saw "a Lamb standing as it were slain" (v. 6). 
"The Lamb stands" says St. John, but he im- 
mediately adds, "as it were slain" The Saviour 
will always retain the impress of His sacred 
wounds, but now they are glittering with glory. 
The Lamb stands, because it lives and cannot 
die again. That is the altar on which the 
Saviour stands, in His immortal life, keeping 



The First Prayer after Consecration. 237 

forever the marks of His passion ; there is our 
Mediator before the throne of the Almighty. 
The priest therefore prays that God may send 
His angel and take the oblation from this earthly 
altar and place it on the sublime altar in 
heaven. The altar in heaven is not a material 
but a mystic altar, on which the blessed, who 
also are called priests (Apoc. v. 10), present, in 
union with Christ, their and our High-Priest, 
the offering of the Church triumphant. We 
pray that our offering on earth may be united 
with theirs in heaven. The words of this prayer 
are so sublime, so wonderful, and at the same 
time so unconceivable, that we should respect 
them with humility and holy fear rather than 
try to penetrate their mysterious meaning. 

The priest further says : " That as many of us 
as shall by partaking at this altar," and at these 
words he kisses the altar. The Church has a 
great reverence for the altar, which represents 
Jesus Christ, the living Altar. The priest pro- 
ceeds: " That as many of us as shall receive the 
most sacred body and blood of Thy Son" — at 
these words he makes the sign of the cross over 
the host and the chalice, and then crosses him- 
self while he says — "may be filled with all 



238 The First Prayer after Consecration. 

heavenly blessing and grace. Through the 
same Christ Our Lord. Amen." We pray 
thereby that we may be as much filled with 
graces and blessings as if we were admitted 
already to the participation of that living Altar, 
Jesus Christ, who is the source Himself of all 
graces. The priest asks, in virtue of that Altar, 
all manner of graces for all men, because he 
does not speak for himself alone. He signs 
himself with the sign of the cross to demonstrate 
that those blessings come to us from the passion 
of Christ, and that we must receive them with 
desire. Here ends the great prayer of the 
Canon. 



CHAPTER XXI. 



THE SECOND AND THE THIRD PRAYER AFTER 
THE CONSECRATION. 

Besides the Church militant and the Church 
triumphant there is still another part of that 
great mystic body. In the preceding prayers 
the Church prays for the living, especially those 
who take part in the holy sacrifice of the Mass ; 
now she (the Church) will pray for the suffering 
souls in purgatory. God enables us to intercede 
for them and to help them. The holy sacrifice 
of the Mass may be offered for that intention ; 
and the Church orders that in every Mass re- 
membrance should be made of her departed 
members. It is a dogma of our faith that the 
Mass works to the relief of the souls in purga- 
tory. This doctrine is as old as the Church her- 
self ; the Fathers of the second century mention 
this prayer for the dead. The priest therefore 
addresses God in behalf of the suffering souls 
and says: " Remember also, O Lord, Thy ser- 



240 Second and Third Prayers after Consecration. 

vants and handmaids, [N. and N.], who have 
gone before us with the sign of faith and sleep 
the sleep of peace. To these, O Lord, and to all 
who rest in Christ, grant, we pray Thee, a place 
of refreshment, of light, and of peace. Through 
the same Christ Our Lord. Amen." Not with- 
out reason is the commemoration of the dead 
made after the Consecration, whereas the com- 
memoration of the living is made before. The 
members of the Church militant can, as we have 
often said, be co-offerers; this we find clearly 
expressed in the commemoration of the living. 
The dead, on the contrary, can offer no more; 
they can only partake of the fruits of the sacri- 
fice which is offered for their relief. When can 
we then more powerfully intercede for them, if 
not at the time the Lamb of God is really present 
on the altar? We have remarked elsewhere that 
the commemoration of the living is called also 
" diptych prayer;" what we said there applies 
also to the commemoration of the dead. After 
the words " sleep the sleep of peace," the priest 
joins his hands together, and, fixing his eyes 
on the Blessed Sacrament, he calls to mind or 
names explicitly the dead for whom he wishes 
to implore God's mercy. The choice of these 



_ _ "_ 1 J ' - BROTHEP 

AT THE MEMENTO FOR THE DEAD. 



Second and Third Prayers after Consecration. 241 

names is left to the priest ; he is guided therein 
by his obligations of gratitude and love. As a 
public minister of the Church, he must abide 
by her precepts, and only recommend to God 
persons " who have gone before us with the sign 
of faith." Formerly no names were allowed on 
the diptychs of persons who departed this life 
out of the unity of the Church ; this seems to be 
obligatory even now, because the memento takes 
the place of the reading of the diptychs. This 
has been at all times the practice of the Church. 
St. Cyril of Jerusalem writes as follows: " Dur- 
ing holy Mass w T e pray in general for all those 
who died amongst ns, that is, in the bosom of the 
Church, as members of the Church;" in the 
commemoration of the living, only the " Ex com- 
municati vitandi" that is, those who are under 
the ban of the Church and are to be avoided; 
in the commemoration of the dead, all who died 
outside of the unity of the Church are excluded, 
such as heretics, schismatics, infidels, and ex- 
communicated persons. For these the Church 
does not pray explicitly ; should they be in pur- 
gatory, they come under the general denomina- 
tion of " those who rest in the Lord." Nothing 

prevents, however, the priest, not as minister of 

16 



242 Second and Third Prayers after Consecration. 

the Church, but as a private person, from recom- 
mending these souls to God. As a general rule, 
the priest should not explicitly name persons for 
whom the Church does not allow the offering of 
the sacrifice; because to them the restrictions 
used in this prayer are not applicable. To move 
the Lord to mercy towards her suffering children, 
the Church calls them " His servants and hand- 
maids,'' and adds that they left this world "with 
the sign of faith." This sign is the spiritual 
character imprinted in the soul which distin- 
guishes the faithful from the infidels. This 
character is imprinted in the soul by Baptism 
and Confirmation, which makes the perfect 
Christian. Baptism by itself also gives the sign 
of faith ; this is expressed in the prayers which 
the Church prescribes for a funeral. When the 
body of the deceased is borne into the church, 
the priest says : " Enter not into judgment, O 
Lord, with Thy servant, who, when he lived, 
was signed with the sign of the Blessed Trinity/' 
This sign of faith is, however, insufficient to 
move God to mercy, if the faith of the deceased 
was not a living faith. The supplication of the 
priest will be of no benefit to one who wilfully 
takes his own life, or goes into eternity with 



Second and Third Prayers after Consecration. 243 

a mortal sin on his conscience. The words 
"and sleep the sleep of peace" show in what 
light the Church views the death of a Christian. 
It is a sleep, and therefore she gives the name of 
ccemeterium (resting-place) to what we call grave- 
yard. They died in peace with the Church and 
with God ; even in purgatory they sleep the 
sleep of peace. In the catacombs of the first 
Christians there are innumerable documents en- 
graved in stone expressive of their idea of death ; 
for them, as it should be for us, death was the 
sleep of peace. For the souls whom the priest 
has recommended to God, and in general for all 
those who rest in Christ, he asks a " place of 
refreshment, light, and peace." "In the souls 
of purgatory," writes St. Catharine of Genoa, 
"unspeakable joy is combined with unspeakable 
suffering; one feeling does not suppress the 
other." Their greatest suffering is to be ban- 
ished from that abode of refreshment, light, and 
peace where they will see their God face to face. 

What is purgatory? It is a place where the 
souls need refreshment, because the fire makes 
itself terribly felt ; it is a place wherein no rays 
of light penetrate to distract them in their suf- 
ferings inside that prison of expiation ; it is a 



244 Second and Third Prayers after Consecration. 

place where no lasting peace reigns ; it is on the 
part of the poor souls a continual sighing, a con- 
tinual tending towards God, whom they cannot 
reach. Purgatory is quite different from the 
place where refreshment, light, and peace are 
enjoyed in their source. When we pray God for 
the souls of the faithful departed, it is that they 
may be freed from their prison, or, at least, if 
the merits of holy Mass are not altogether ap- 
plied to them, that they may at least obtain alle- 
viation in their sufferings. The priest con- 
cludes this prayer with the words : " Through 
the same Christ Our Lord. Amen." The Missal 
here orders that the priest bow his head, which 
is otherwise not done when the name of Jesus 
does not occur in the conclusion of a prayer. 

The inclination of the head must here have a 
particular meaning. This ceremony seems to 
call to our mind an occurrence on Calvary. 
Scripture tells us that " Jesus, bowing down 
His head, gave up the ghost," and that He then 
descended into Limbo to console the souls of the 
patriarchs and free them from their dungeon. 
The priest bows his head to lay particular stress 
on his prayer for all those who died in the Lord 
and are now being purified in the fire of pur- 



Second and Third Prayers after Consecration. 245 

gatory, that the atonement of the eucharistic 
Lamb may penetrate into purgatory and may 
alleviate and abbreviate the sufferings of the 
poor souls. The commemoration of the dead 
contains a salutary lesson for us. We are pil- 
grims on earth and have here no permanent 
abode. After some time we shall follow those 
who have preceded us with the sign of faith, and 
most likely we shall have something to atone for 
in purgatory. It is quite natural, then, that after 
we have made the blood of Jesus Christ flow in 
purgatory we should think of ourselves again, 
and beg of God to admit us graciously into the 
heavenly Sion. This is the object of the fol- 
lowing prayer : " To us also sinners, Thy ser- 
vants, hoping in the multitude of Thy mercies, 
deign to grant some part and fellowship with 
Thy holy apostles and martyrs; with John, 
Stephen, Matthias, Barnabas, Ignatius, Alex- 
ander, Marcellinus, Peter, Felicitas, Perpetua, 
Agatha, Lucy, Agnes, Cecilia, Anastasia, and 
with all Thy saints; into whose company we 
beseech Thee to admit us, not weighing our 
merits, but granting mercy. Through Christ 
Our Lord." The first three words of this prayer, 
" Nobis qiioqnc peccatoribns" (" to us also sinners"), 



246 Second and Third Prayers after Consecration. 

are pronounced by the priest a little louder than 
the rest of the Canon, and at the same time he 
strikes his breast once. He gives thereby ex- 
pression to his sentiments of sorrow, sentiments 
which he wishes also to excite in the hearts of 
those present, for sins which he would have to 
expiate later in the fire of purgatory. To 
move God to mercy, he confesses that he and all 
those who offer with him the holy sacrifice are 
sinners, but such as have not lost confidence in 
the infinite mercy of God. Confiding in God's 
goodness, the priest asks of Him some part 
and fellowship with His apostles and martyrs. 
" God is my portion forever," says the Prophet 
David (Ps. lxxii. 26) ; this is also what the priest 
prays for, namely, the possession of the Su- 
preme Good, in union with the blessed inhabi- 
tants of the heavenly Jerusalem. 

The Church makes the commemoration of some 
saints before Consecration, and of others after 
Consecration. Before Consecration we ask God 
that they may be our mediators, that we may ob- 
tain the graces which we hope from the sacrifice ; 
after Consecration we pray God that we may be 
admitted to the fellowship of the saints in heaven. 
Fifteen are here expressly named, and all of them 



Second and Third Prayers after Consecration. 247 

are martyrs. The first place is assigned to St. 
John the Baptist. St. John was the precursor of 
the Messias, who was to prepare the way for Him. 
He was to preach penance and prepare the hearts 
of the Israelites to receive and acknowledge the 
Messias, whose coming also he was to announce. 
It is well known how St. John fulfilled his min- 
istry. He desired to make the true Messias 
known to all, and desisted not from admonishing 
the people and bringing them back to the right 
path. When duty demanded he was no more 
afraid of the wealthiest princes than of the poor- 
est beggar. Herod had to hear from him hard 
truths concerning his scandalous life with 
Herodias. Instead of gratefully accepting the 
warning, Herod gives an illustration of the con- 
sequences of unbridled passion : he had the pre- 
cursor beheaded. The Church celebrates the 
feast of the beheading of St. John on the twenty- 
ninth of August. 

St. Stephen had the honor of being the first, 
after the death of the Redeemer, to shed his 
blood for Him. Ordained deacon by the 
aposties, he devoted himself to the care of the 
poor and the sick, and also preached the teaching 
of Christ to the obstinate Jews. He was a man, 



248 Second and Third Prayers after Consecration. 

as Scripture testifies, "full of grace and forti- 
tude, full of faith, and of the Holy Ghost, and 
he worked many wonders among the people." 
As a reward of his untiring zeal, he received the 
crown of the martyrs. When being stoned to 
death, his last words were a prayer of pardon 
for his executioners; he begged of God not to 
hold them responsible for that sin. The twenty- 
sixth of December is consecrated to his memory. 

St. Matthias was, after the Ascension of 
Christ, by a special disposition of God called to 
the apostolate, in place of Judas Iscariot. Later 
on he preached the Gospel in Ethiopia, and at 
the end of his apostolic career was beheaded 
with an axe. His head reposes in Rome in the 
church of St. Mary Major. His feast is kept on 
the twenty-fourth of February ; in leap years on 
the twenty-fifth of the same month. 

St. Barnabas was born on the island of Cyprus, 
and was at first called Joseph; the apostles gave 
him the name of Barnabas. Barnabas is consid- 
ered by many as a helper of the apostles, but it 
seems more probable that he was, like Paul, an 
apostle in the proper sense of the word. It ap- 
pears that he was also one of the seventy-two 
disciples. Having received episcopal consecra- 



Second and Third Prayers after Consecration. 249 

tion at Antioch, he undertook a long mission 
voyage, together with Paul. Later he separated 
from the Apostle of the Gentiles, and his native 
country became his principal field, where he 
closed a glorious life by the death of a martyr. 
In the fifth century his holy relics were discov- 
ered under a tree ; he still had on his breast the 
Gospel of St. Matthew, which he had copied 
with his own hand. 

St. Ignatius was a companion of the apostles 
and became afterwards the second successor of 
St. Peter in the Chair of Antioch. According to 
a pious legend, he was one of the children whom 
Our Saviour blessed. During the reign of the 
Emperor Trajan he was sentenced to death, 
dragged to Rome, and there thrown before the 
wild beasts in the Coliseum on the twentieth of 
December, 107. He said "that, should the 
wild beasts spare him as they had spared other 
martyrs, he would excite them himself." "I 
am the wheat of Christ," said he; "I must be 
ground by the teeth of lions to be a pure bread 
before Him." 

St. Alexander was the fifth or sixth successor 
of St. Peter in the Papal chair at Rome. A 
special mention was due to him in the Canon of 



250 Second and Third Prayers after Consecration. 

the Mass, since it was by his order that the 
words immediately preceding the Consecration, 
"Who the day before He suffered," were in- 
serted in the Canon. He worked numerous and 
remarkable conversions in Rome. On the third 
of May, 117, he was beheaded with two of his 
priests outside of Rome. 

St. Marcellinus was a priest of the Church at 
Rome, and St. Peter was an exorcist. These two 
saints are in the ecclesiastical liturgy never sep- 
arated from each other. Marcellinus baptized 
the daughter of the jailer, from whom Peter had 
first cast out a devil, together with her family 
and neighbors, who had witnessed the wonder. 
This enkindled the rage of the heathens, who 
beheaded Marcellinus and Peter on the same 
day. Their feast occurs on the second of June. 

Felicitas and Perpetua were two heroines who 
were martyred at Carthage in Africa in 202. 
Both were descendants of noble families. After 
undergoing a frightful scourging, they were 
thrown before a wild cow and finally beheaded. 
Gueranger and others assert that this St. Fe- 
licitas of whom mention is made in the Canon 
of the Mass was the glorious woman of Rome, 
the mother of the seven martyr sons; this holy 



Second and Third Prayers after Consecration. 251 

woman renewed during the persecution of Mar- 
cus Aurelius the generous sacrifice of the mother 
of the Machabees. If, as others assert, she was 
the one of Carthage, she would probably be men- 
tioned after St. Perpetua, who was the most re- 
markable of all those who died with Felicitas, 
and who even described a part of their martyr- 
dom. It cannot be denied, however, that the 
first opinion is the most generally received. 

Two cities of Sicily, Palermo and Catanea, 
claim the honor of being the birthplace of St. 
Agatha. It is certain that she was put to death 
at Catanea in 251 under the Emperor Decius. 
She was born of a noble family, and was re- 
nowned for her beauty and virtue. From a very 
early age she had selected Jesus Christ for her 
Bridegroom. The governor of Sicily did all in 
his power to make her change that resolution, 
but in vain. They made her suffer excruciating 
torments; the tyrant even had her breasts cut 
away. In prison, she was miraculously cured 
by St. Peter. While praying fervently, her 
beautiful soul sped away to heaven. 

St. Lucy received the crown of martyrdom 
about fifty years after St. Agatha, during the 
terrible persecution of Diocletian. Born at 



252 Second and Third Prayers after Consecration. 

Syracuse of wealthy parents, she, after having 
obtained the restoration of her mother's health 
at the tomb of St, Agatha, distributed all her 
dowry to the poor; she had previously made the 
vow of perpetual chastity to God. The young 
man to whom her parents had betrothed her de- 
nounced her to the pagan judges. Lucy made 
a splendid confession of the Christian faith in 
the presence of these judges. They told her: 
" Words will cease when we come to strokes ;." but 
they were mistaken, for the Holy Ghost inspired 
her to speak. Finally the judge ordered pitch, 
resin, and boiling oil to be poured over her and 
then to be lighted ; but the fire did not touch her. 
He then ordered her throat to be pierced with 
a sword. In consequence of this wound St. 
Lucy died on the thirteenth of December. 

St. Agnes was born in Rome; her physical 
beauty was enhanced by a still greater beauty of 
soul. She received the double crown of martyr- 
dom and virginity at the tender age of thirteen 
years. Her biographers, among whom is St. 
Ambrose, say " that she was a child in years, 
but ripe in understanding; tender in body, but 
courageous in mind ; beautiful in appearance, but 
more beautiful in soul." A prominent citizen 



Second and Third Prayers after Consecration. 253 

wanted her in marriage, but she had consecrated 
her virginity to God and had resolved to remain 
a virgin. All possible threats could not shake 
that resolution. Finally she fell under the sword 
of the tyrant. On the very spot where she 
gained that brilliant victory was erected a splen- 
did church in honor of the youthful saint. 

St. Cecilia was a noble Roman virgin, who 
had made at a very early age the vow of virginal 
chastity. She only acceded to the wishes of 
her parents to marry a wealthy heathen young 
man, named Valerian, after she had been as- 
sured by God that she could remain faithful to 
her promise to death. She had the consolation 
of converting her husband and his brother to the 
true faith ; both of them receiving afterwards 
the crown of martyrdom. All this was brought 
to the notice of the pagan prefect of the city, 
Almachius. This murderous tyrant endeavored 
to kill her by suffocation, in the bathroom of her 
palace. But God, who did not desert the three 
young men in the furnace, protected His hand- 
maid. The tyrant then ordered her to be be- 
headed. The executioner made three fright- 
ful cuts, without however severing the head. 
Cecilia survived three davs, and in the mean time 



254 Second and Third Prayers after Consecration. 

made arrangements to have her house trans- 
formed into a church. In 821 her sacred body 
was miraculously discovered by Pope Paschal L 
St. Cecilia is honored as the special patroness of 
Church music. 

St. Anastasia was a noble widow of Rome. 
During her married life she had much to suffer 
from her pagan husband. After his death she 
devoted herself entirely to works of charity and 
mercy. During the persecution of Diocletian, on 
the twenty-fifth of December, 304, she received 
by fire the crown of martyrdom. She was held 
in such high veneration in Rome that the Pope 
formerly celebrated invariably the second Christ- 
mas Mass in the church consecrated in her 
honor. This is not done at present, but the 
commemoration of the saint is always made in 
that Mass. 

The question may be put why so many and no 
more, these and no other, saints are mentioned 
in the Canon. Different reasons may be given 
for that; we hold, however, with Suarez, that it 
is needless to investigate the reasons of such 
ordinances, as they are often made either acci- 
dentally or in consequence of a particular devo- 
tion. 



Second and Third Prayers after Consecration. 255 

We ask in this prayer that we may be eter- 
nally united in heaven with these and all the 
other saints. The fellowship for which we pray 
consists in this, that we may be partakers of 
their happiness. St. Thomas Aquinas beauti- 
fully explains this as follows: he says, "eternal 
life consists in the joyful company of all the 
blessed ; this company will be very acceptable, 
because every one will possess all good with 
all the saints; they will love one another as 
themselves; hence every one rejoices over the 
happiness of others as well as over his own. 
Therefore the joy of all is the joy of every one." 
In order to obtain that happiness we appeal not 
to our good deeds, or our merits, but to the 
mercy of the Lord. The priest concludes this 
prayer, as usual, "through Christ Our Lord. 
Amen." 



CHAPTER XXII. 



CONCLUSION OF THE CANON, THE PATER NOSTER, 
AND THE LIBERA. 

The Canon is now concluded with the follow- 
ing impressive words: " Through whom, O 
Lord, Thou dost always create, sanctify, vivify, 
bless, and give unto us all these good things. 
By Him, and with Him, and in Him is to Thee, 
God, almighty Father, in unity of the Holy 
Ghost, all honor and glory, world without end. 
Amen." 

Before proceeding with the exposition of this 
prayer we must first mention a ceremony for- 
merly in use. The faithful then brought to the 
altar bread, wine, vegetables, fruit, etc., and 
the words now used to conclude the Canon 
served then to bless all these good things. 
While pronouncing these words the priest, in 
the presence of Our Saviour Himself and in the 
sublimest exercise of his ministry, blessed all 
that had been brought to the altar. This differ- 




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AT THE PATER NOSTER. 



Conclusion of the Canon. 257 

ence of usage in the primitive and in the modern 
Church explains also the motive of this cere- 
mony in former days and its omission at present. 
Formerly there was only one altar in the church., 
and arranged, as far as possible, like the heav- 
enly altar, which St. John describes in the 
Apocalypse : " Before the throne of the eternal 
Father was the altar, around the altar were the 
Seniors, on the altar the Lamb/' 

Formerly only one Mass was offered in the 
church and then not every day. The bishop 
celebrated the Mass; the priests united and of- 
fered with him. The faithful then presented to 
the bishop to be blessed the fruits of the earth, 
all that was needed for their support. Later on, 
about the eighth century, at the inspiration of 
the Holy Ghost and to satisfy the devotion of 
priests and faithful, the practice was introduced 
of saying more Masses in the same church. But 
as the number of Masses increased, the custom 
of bringing fruits and vegetables to be blessed 
was discontinued. A vestige is left of that gen- 
eral custom of former days on Holy Thursday, 
when the bishop consecrates the oil of the sick, 
before pronouncing in Mass the words which we 

are to explain. " However it may be in regard 
r 7 



258 Conclusion of the Canon. 

to that ancient custom/' says Pope Benedict 
XIV., "it is certain that the blessing of new 
fruits could not take place at every Mass, and yet 
that the words under consideration were said at 
every Mass; thence it follows that these words 
must be understood of the oblation without re- 
gard to that existing custom." The words : " All 
these good things" have reference to the eu- 
charistic elements of bread and wine, which were 
substantially on the altar before consecration, 
and which the priest still has in view, because 
these outward appearances conceal the sacrificed 
Lamb from our eyes after consecration. These 
natural elements of bread and wine were created, 
and then by the consecration changed from 
earthly into heavenly gifts, and given unto us 
in holy communion for the nourishment of our 
souls. By "all these good things" are partly 
meant the natural good things of bread and 
wine, and the supernatural good things — the 
body and blood of Christ; the first are created, 
sanctified, vivified, and blessed; the others are 
given unto us in holy communion. As in the 
beginning of the world, so does God now con- 
tinue to create through His Son, Jesus Christ, as 
St. John expresses it in his Gospel and as we 



Conclusion of the Canon. 259 

profess it in the Apostles' Creed. He not only 
created these in the beginning of the world, the 
natural products which form the material ele- 
ments of the sacrifice, but He continues to 
create them in a certain sense by causing new 
grains and new grapes to be produced every 
year. The Almighty changes those natural pro- 
ducts through Jesus Christ into the oblation of 
holy Mass. This wonderful change of substance 
is here proposed to us under three different as- 
pects, as being the most perfect and most sublime, 
namely, sanctification, vivification, and blessing. 

By the consecration bread and wine are 
sanctified, because their substance ceases to ex- 
ist, to make room for the most holy body and 
blood of Christ united with the divinity. By 
the consecration the lifeless elements of bread 
and wine are vivified, that is, changed into the 
living and life-giving body and blood of Christ. 
Finally, by consecration the bread and wine are 
blessed in the fullest sense of the word, not 
merely like oil, water, etc., which receive there- 
by a religious destination, but because the sub- 
stances of bread and wine are changed into the 
blessed sacrificial body and blood of Christ, con- 
taining all heavenly blessings. These sancti- 



260 Conclusion of the Canon. 

fied, vivified, and blessed gifts God gives to us 
through Jesus Christ, as sacrifice and sacrament; 
because the Holy Eucharist is not only a sacri- 
fice, it is also a sacrament for the nourishment of 
our souls. The prayer which we are explaining 
consists properly of two parts. In the first we 
acknowledge that God grants us the sacrificial 
gifts through Jesus Christ; in the second we 
profess that by the offering of Christ the great- 
est possible honor is tendered to the triune 
God. These few words explain to us the effi- 
cacy of holy Mass. Jesus Christ, the High- 
Priest of the New Testament, appears on the 
altar as Mediator between God and man, on the 
one hand, to bless and enrich humanity with the 
fulness of His gifts, and, on the other, to honor 
and glorify God in the most perfect manner. In 
the second part we profess that by Christ God is 
honored and glorified, because the God-Man 
offers Himself to the eternal Father, and be- 
cause by Him the homage of creatures is ten- 
dered to God. God is further honored and 
glorified with Christ, because Christ also is true 
God, who together and in like manner with the 
Father and the Holy Ghost must be honored 
and glorified. Finally, God is glorified in Jesus 



Conclusion of the Canon, 261 

Christ, because the divine Persons have the same 
nature, and consequently the honor which is 
rendered to one of the Three Divine Persons can- 
not be separated from the honor which is due to 
the other two. We may also add that by Christ, 
with Christ, and in Christ we give to God the 
greatest possible offering which is in the power 
of a creature to give. As members of Christ 
and mystically united with the Head, we offer by 
Him and with Him, because He deigns to make 
us His co-offerers; we offer also in Him, because 
we are offered in a spiritual manner with Him. 

Touching as are these words, the actions which 
accompany them are equally touching. While 
the priest says, "Sanctifies, vivifies, blesses/' he 
makes three crosses over the oblation ; not to 
bless anew what is already infinitely holy, but to 
signify the completed sanctification, vivification, 
and blessing. Then he uncovers the chalice and 
makes five other crosses, not with the hand only, 
but with the sacred Host ; three crosses over the 
chalice, and two between the chalice and him- 
self. In this prayer the Three Divine Persons 
are named distinctly, the Son thrice, the Father 
and the Holy Ghost each once. The first three 
crosses refer to the Son, and they are made with 



262 Conclusion of the Canon. 

the host over the chalice to signify that it con- 
tains the sacred blood of Christ. Afterwards at 
the separate mention of the Father and the Holy 
Ghost the priest makes two crosses between the 
chalice and himself, because, as neither the 
Father nor the Son are sacrificed, it is not proper 
that at their names the host be placed over the 
precious blood, which belongs to the Son alone, 
for He alone assumed human nature and sacri- 
ficed Himself for us. At the words, "all honor 
and glory, ,f the priest, holding the Host over 
the chalice, raises both a little. This elevation 
is a figure of the glorification which every day 
ascends as a sweet odor from the altar to the 
throne of the Almighty. The immolation of 
Christ on Calvary was on the part of men the 
most heinous crime; on the altar that offering 
means the greatest glory to God, because the 
One who is offered lives and dies no more. 

There is nothing which gives greater glory to 
God than the sacrifice of holy Mass. We may 
say a prayer in His honor or practise an act of 
virtue, but this does not force God's attention; 
but in the Mass His infinite perfections oblige 
Him to look down graciously on the homage we 
pay Him through His Son, because Jesus Christ 



The Pater Noster and the Libera. 263 

is always the Priest and the Victim. Jesus 
Christ is a Priest forever; even after the world 
shall have ceased to exist He will continue in 
His capacity of Priest to glorify God, because 
God must be eternally glorified. The propitia- 
tory and impetratory sacrifice will not exist in 
heaven; Jesus, the Priest forever, will, however, 
continue to praise and thank God. This is ex- 
pressed by the concluding words of the prayer, 
"Forever and ever," which the priest again says 
in a loud voice, and to which the acolyte in the 
name of the people replies a Amen," to express 
that the congregation unites with all the priest 
has done in the Canon, and especially with the 
oblation which has been presented to God. 

The priest now begins the Lord's Prayer, pre- 
ceded by a short introduction, to excite the atten- 
tion of the faithful. The Lord's Prayer was a part 
of Mass from the very first ages of Christianity; 
according to St. Jerome, Our Saviour Himself 
willed and determined that it should be a part of 
the Mass. It is in the very oldest missals. As 
the Preface is an introduction to the Canon, so 
is the Lord's Prayer an introduction to the third 
part of Mass, the Communion. As the contents 
of that prayer are applicable partly to the Offer- 



264 The Pater Noster and the Libera, 

tory, partly to the Communion, it forms a beau- 
tiful transition from the one to the other. In 
the Lord's Prayer we ask the sanctification of 
God's name, the advent of His kingdom, and the 
fulfilling of His divine will; then we pray for 
our daily bread, the remission of our trespasses, 
freedom from temptation, and deliverance from 
evil. The first three requests regard the glori- 
fication of God, the three last the salvation of 
man; they are joined together by the fourth, by 
which we ask God for heavenly food of the soul 
and temporal bread of the body. We may con- 
fidently hope for and actually receive these 
blessings principally through the Holy Eucha- 
rist, considered as sacrifice and as sacrament. 
By the Offertory the greatest possible glory is 
given to God ; in holy communion we receive 
the Source of graces, from which we may draw 
to our hearts happiness for time and eternity. 

The priest says: " Let us pray. Instructed by 
Thy saving precepts, following Thy divine insti- 
tution, we presume to say : Our Father who art in 
heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom 
come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in 
heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and 
forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those 



The Pater Noster and the Libera. 265 

who trespass against us. And lead us not into 
temptation/* The acolyte in the name of the 
congregation says the last part: " But deliver us 
from evil." The priest then says in a subdued 
tone of voice, " Amen." Many times before has 
the priest by the words, "Let us pray," excited 
the attention of the faithful. Never before was 
there more appropriate occasion to induce the 
faithful to pray with attention and confidence, 
because he has now before him the body and 
blood of Jesus Christ. Priest and faithful pre- 
sent to God the requests that follow, because 
they are in compliance with the divine precept 
which Jesus Christ has left us. Instructed by 
Christ Himself we presume to say : " Our Fa- 
ther." We could explain at length each part 
of that short but sublime prayer, but we pre- 
fer translating the beautiful paraphrase of St. 
Francis : " Our most holy Father, our Creator, 
Redeemer, Saviour, and Consoler, who art in 
heaven in the angels, in the saints, enlightening 
them to Thy knowledge, whereas Thou, O Lord, 
art light, inflaming them with Thy divine love ; 
because Thou, O Lord, art love, dwelling in them 
and filling them with Thy happiness; because 
Thou, O Lord, art the Sovereign and Eternal 



266 The Pater Noster and the Libera. 

Good, from whom all good comes, and without 
whom nothing is good. Hallowed be Thy name. 
May our knowledge of Thee be clearer, that we 
may understand the breadth of Thy favors, the 
length of Thy promises, the heights of Thy 
majesty, and the depth of Thy judgments. Thy 
kingdom come, that Thou mayst reign in us by 
Thy grace and admit us into Thy kingdom, where 
we shall see Thee face to face, love Thee per- 
fectly, be happy in Thy company, and enjoy 
Thee forever. Thy will be done on earth as it is 
in heaven, that we may love Thee from our whole 
heart, by thinking always of Thee, desiring Thee 
with all our soul, directing all our intentions and 
all our mind to Thee, seeking Thy honor in all 
things, employing all our faculties and senti- 
ments of body and soul as an homage of love, 
and for no other purpose ; that we may love our 
neighbor as ourselves, by trying to bring all, 
according to our means, to Thy love; rejoicing 
in the good of others, as in our own ; compas- 
sionating with them in their tribulations and not 
offending any. Give its this day our daily bread. 
Give us this day Thy beloved Son, Our Lord 
Jesus Christ, in our memory, in our understand- 
ing, and in the respectful remembrance of the 



The Pater Noster and the Libera. 267 

love which He bore us, and of all He has 
done, said, and suffered for us. And forgive us 
our trespasses, by Thy mercy and the unspeak- 
able merits of the passion of Thy beloved Son, 
Our Lord Jesus Christ, and by the merits and 
intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and 
all Thy elect. As we forgive those that tres- 
pass against us, and because we do not fully 
forgive; grant, O Lord, that we may fully for- 
give, that we may love our enemies for Thee, 
and piously intercede for them with Thee; 
that we never return evil for evil, and trv to 
be useful to all in Thee. And lead us not into 
temptation, be it internal or external, transitory 
or continual. But deliver us from evil, of all 
past, present, and future evil. Amen with all 
our heart." 

After the Lord's Prayer begins a part of holy 
Mass which extends to the second prayer before 
the Communion. Communion is the means 
chosen by the Saviour to unite men among them- 
selves and to make one body of them. When the 
Church excludes one for a grievous sin from her 
unity, she excommunicates him, that is, she ex- 
cludes him from the communion of the faithful. 
To signify and express that unity, the Church 



268 The Pate?' Noster and the Libera. 

wills that peace, which is the sequel of true love 
among the faithful, be the object of special 
attention. That is why she asks for peace 
in the following prayer, which at the same 
time amplifies the last request of the Lord's 
Prayer. 

The priest says : " Deliver us, we beseech 
Thee, O Lord, from all evils, past, present, 
and future, and by the intercession of the 
blessed and ever glorious Virgin Mary, Mother 
of God, together with Thy blessed apostles 
Peter and Paul, and Andrew and all the 
saints, graciously give peace in our days, that 
aided by the help of Thy mercy we may be 
always free from sin and secure from all dis- 
turbance." 

The first words of this prayer are an amplifi- 
cation of the last petition in the Lord's Prayer. 
Why does the Church insist so much on the 
prayer for deliverance from all evil? Because 
this world of ours, where the children of Eve 
are banished, is strewn with thistles and thorns, 
and is a real valley of tears. Our life on earth 
is filled with a thousand trials, dangers await us 
on all sides, enemies assail us within and with- 
out. Although we are called, even on earth, 



The Pater Noster and the Libera. 269 

children of God, we know not what awaits lis on 
the other side of the grave. This exalted dignity 
is environed on earth with many a dark cloud. 
As long as we must fight upon earth, our chief 
weapon is prayer ; we must pray to be delivered 
from all past, present, and future evils. The 
past evils are sins which continue in their evil 
consequences; those sins have left us perhaps 
many temporal punishments, perhaps a spiritual 
languor, which we must try to expiate or make 
disappear. For the present we are threatened 
with many evils from within and without ; left to 
ourselves it would be impossible to resist all those 
enemies. The future is in no ways safer than the 
present ; there are so many tribulations to which 
we are subjected, so many sins which we may 
commit. Justly therefore we pray God, the Giver 
of all good, to be delivered from all those evils. 
The Lord often permits severe trials, that we may 
take our refuge in Him, with all the more confi- 
dence. No moment could be more propitious to 
give to our prayers the necessary qualities than 
this. With Jesus, the sacrificial Lamb, before 
us, with Him who unites our prayers to His, we 
may with confidence beg God not to punish us as 
our demerits deserve, but graciously to grant 



2jo The Pater Xoster and the Libera. 

peace in our days. We ask of God first the true 
and interior peace of the soul, which consists in 
this, that through His divine mercy we may ever 
be free from sin, in order to live in continual 
friendship with Him; further, we ask outward 
peace, which is that in the midst of all tribula- 
tions and persecutions, assisted by God's grace, 
we may ever be in safety, for, left to ourselves, 
these trials would cause us to deviate from the 
true path. We pray for true interior peace and 
outward peace in our days ; all those who will 
come after us will do the same to the end of time. 

In order to make his prayer more powerful, the 
priest implores the intercession of the ever 
blessed and glorious Virgin Mary, the Mother of 
God, and of the holy apostles Peter and Paul 
and Andrew, and of all the saints. St. Andrew 
is mentioned here particularly, probably for the 
reason that the Roman Church always enter- 
tained a special devotion towards the brother of 
the Prince of the apostles. About the middle 
of the prayer, when the priest says, " and all the 
saints," he crosses himself with the paten, which 
he has held in his right hand from the begin- 
ning of the prayer; then he kisses the paten as a 
token of respect, because the body of the Lord 



The Pater Noster and the Libera. 271 

will now rest upon it. The priest signs himself 
with the paten, thereby expressing his desire to 
participate in that peace which Christ obtained 
for us by His cross and confirmed by the institu- 
tion of the Blessed Sacrament. 



CHAPTER XXIII. 



FROM THE BREAKING OF THE HOST TO THE 
COMMUNION. 

The breaking of the host stands in close con- 
nection with the concluding words of the pre- 
ceding prayer: " Through the same Jesus Christ, 
Thy Son, Our Lord, who with Thee lives and 
reigns in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God for- 
ever and ever. Amen." While the priest says, 
" Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Our 
Lord," he holds respectfully the host over the 
chalice, breaks it into two parts, and places the 
one he has in his right hand on the paten. He 
then continues : " Who with Thee lives and 
reigns," and breaks a particle of the one he 
holds in his left hand ; this particle he holds in 
his right hand, while he places the part in his 
left hand beside the other half on the paten, 
meanwhile saying : " In the unity of the Holy 
Ghost, God." Then, holding this particle in his 
right hand, he solemnly intones or says in a loud 



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Breaking of the Host to Communion. 273 

voice, " Forever and ever," to which the acolyte 
replies, "Amen." The priest then sings or 
says, "The peace of the Lord be ever with you," 
while he makes with the particle of the host 
three crosses over the chalice. After the server 
has responded to the greeting of the priest with 
the words: "And with thy spirit," the priest 
drops the particle into the chalice, accompanying 
that action with the following words in a low tone 
of voice: " May this commingling and consecra- 
tion of the body and blood of Our Lord Jesus 
Christ become to us, who receive it, effectual 
unto eternal life. Amen." The custom of 
breaking the host is as old as the sacrifice it- 
self. Holy Scripture expressly mentions "that 
the Lord at the Last Supper broke the bread ;" 
shortly after His resurrection, the two disciples of 
Emmaus recognized Him at the breaking of 
the bread. The apostles continued the practice 
which Our Lord had inaugurated, and the Church 
has always observed this apostolic tradition. 
The breaking of the host and the commingling 
of the elements, simple as they may appear, 
contain a great mystic meaning. 

That the breaking of the host is of great im- 
portance is explained to us by the words which 
18 



274 Breaking of the Host to Communion. 

the bishop addresses to the levite at his ordina- 
tion to the priesthood. After the ordination the 
bishop warns the newly ordained to learn well 
the manner of saying Mass, such as the Conse- 
cration, the breaking of the host, and the Com- 
munion, before offering the holy sacrifice. If 
the breaking of the host is classed with the Con- 
secration and the Communion, the breaking of 
the host must then form a very important part 
of Mass. In fact, while it does not concern the 
substance of the sacrifice, it stands in close con- 
nection both with the Consecration and the Com- 
munion. In the first ages of Christianity, these 
two principal parts of Mass were almost invari- 
ably called "the breaking of the bread." The 
host is broken to place before us in a clearer 
light the substance of the sacrifice. The break- 
ing of the host reminds us of the painful and 
bloody holocaust of the cross ; it is a figure of 
the inhuman tortures which caused the death of 
Christ. The breaking of the host puts us in 
mind that Christ is the Lamb who deigned to 
be wounded for our iniquities and bruised for our 
sins (Is. liii. 5). The breaking of the host ex- 
presses in a different way what is expressed by 
the separate consecration of the species. The 



Breaking of the Host to Communion. 275 

host is broken over the chalice. It may be that 
this is done out of respect, so that any falling 
particles at the breaking of the host may drop 
into the chalice; but this does not change the 
fact that this ceremony was introduced to express 
another mystic and very important meaning. 
St. Germanus thinks this ceremony signifies that 
the blood contained in the chalice flowed from 
the broken, the wounded, and the bruised body 
of Christ, in such a way that it belongs to it and 
constitutes with it but one offering. The break- 
ing of the host is also a preparation and intro- 
duction to the Communion ; breaking the bread 
is the same as preparing it for communion. 
"The breaking of the body," says St. John 
Chrysostom, "is done by communion;" on the 
cross this was not done, because it is written: 
"No bone shall be broken in Him." "What 
Christ did not suffer on the cross," so continues 
the holy doctor, " He suffers at holy Mass, when 
He allows Himself to be broken, to feed all." 
Therefore the breaking of the host indicates 
also that the sacrificed body of Christ is given to 
us in holy communion for the nourishment of 
our souls. The Saviour Himself has said : " The 
bread that I will give is My flesh for the life of 



276 Breaking of the Host to Communion. 

the world" (John vi. 52). He offered Himself 
once to His heavenly Father by a bloody death 
on the cross; every day He offers Himself to 
Him by a mystic death on the altar; by that 
double offering, signified by the breaking of the 
host, He becomes a spiritual food, taken in 
holy communion. Formerly the altar-bread was 
much larger than it is now; one of the three 
parts was then subdivided into many smaller 
particles, which were distributed to those pres- 
ent, or sent to the absent, or dropped into the 
chalice at a following Mass. The participa- 
tion of the same offering is a striking sign and 
pledge of ecclesiastical communion. To pre- 
serve mutual charity, Pope and bishops for- 
merly sent particles of a consecrated host to other 
bishops and priests ; these were then taken at a 
following Mass together with the precious blood. 
This practice prevailed in Rome until about the 
ninth century. Often it happened that on Sun- 
days or feast-days the Pope sent one of his priests 
to say Mass in another church of the city ; to 
this priest the Pope would give a particle of the 
host which he had consecrated ; this would then 
be dropped into the chalice and be taken by the 
priest as a sign of communion with the visible 



Breaking of the Host to Communion. 277 

head of the Church. The breaking of the host 
into three parts mystically represents the Blessed 
Trinity, or the earthly life, the sacrificial death, 
and the eternal glorification of Christ ; it would 
appear to represent more especially the mystic 
body of Christ, that is, the militant, suffering, 
and triumphant Church. From what we have 
said about the breaking of the Host must also 
be understood the meaning of the mingling of 
the appearances. In the separate consecration 
of bread and wine, as also in the breaking of the 
host, the body and blood of Christ are repre- 
sented to us as separated from each other; by 
the subsequent mingling of the consecrated ele- 
ments they are again united, and thereby we are 
reminded that on the altar is indeed, not the 
blood without the body, nor the body without 
the blood, but Christ whole and entire under 
both appearances, with body and blood, divinity 
and humanity. As the separation of body and 
blood is represented by the separate consecration 
and by the breaking of the host, so by the union 
of these elements the glorious Resurrection of 
Christ is represented. As such, the mingling of 
the elements also refers to the communion, as in 
holy communion there is given to us, not the 



278 Breaking of the Host to Communion. 

dead body of Christ, but His glorious risen 
body. 

After the breaking of the host and before the 
mingling of the two appearances, the priest 
makes with the particle of the host which he 
holds in his right hand three crosses over the 
chalice, saying at the same time: " May the 
peace of the Lord be ever with you." We said 
that this is done after the breaking and before 
the mingling ; this circumstance should be well 
taken into consideration, because it reminds us 
that Christ by His death on the cross and by 
His glorious Resurrection became the source of 
true peace. The crosses over the chalice, which 
contains the blood of Christ, signify that peace 
was made through the cross and the blood shed 
on it, because, says St. Paul, " It hath well 
pleased the Father, through Him to reconcile all 
things unto Himself, making peace through the 
blood of His cross, on earth and in heaven (Col. 
i. 20). The priest prays that the peace which 
Christ brought upon earth may be shared by all 
present, and by the Church in general, forever. 
The acolyte in the name of the faithful replies : 
"And with thy spirit." The prayer which the 
priest says at the mingling of the elements 



Breaking of the Host to Communion. 279 

presents certain difficulties, especially as regards 
the word consecration. The words mingling and 
consecration are understood generally in the con- 
crete sense, so as to mean : This mingled and 
consecrated body and blood of Christ become 
unto us eternal life. This mingling and conse- 
cration are made for our salvation, not because 
the act of mingling and consecrating sanctifies 
us, but because these mingled and consecrated 
elements greatly confer to our salvation when we 
receive them worthily ; this is the explanation of 
Cardinal Bellarmin. The concluding words seem 
to confirm that meaning. 

The word consecration in this prayer, however, 
must have a deeper meaning. " Possibly," says 
Cardinal Bellarmin, "is there question here of 
the new consecration, which is the consequence 
of the mingling of the elements/' This new 
consecration means nothing else but a new sacra- 
mental meaning. We say that something is 
consecrated, when it acquires a sacramental 
meaning; in the same way, we may say that 
something is consecrated again, when it obtains 
another sacramental signification. By the ming- 
ling the Resurrection of Christ is represented, 
because in His resurrection the flesh w r as again 



280 Breaking of the Host to Communion. 

united to the blood. Therefore by the mingling 
occurs a new consecration, while the divided ele- 
ments represent the death of Christ and united 
His resurrection. The breaking of the host 
and the mingling of the appearances clearly ex- 
press how the divine Lamb died for us, and rose 
again, to be at the divine banquet for us the 
Source of eternal salvation. 

The Council of Trent (sess. xiii. cap. 8) calls 
the Holy Eucharist " the sign of unity, the bond 
of love, the figure of union;" it is indeed the 
Sacrament of Peace. Peace is one of the chief 
effects of communion, and is at the same time 
the principal requisite to participate in the fruits 
thereof. At the table of the Lord the bond of 
love among the faithful must be made firmer. 

After the Pater Noster the priest prays that 
God might "graciously give peace in our days;" 
after the breaking of the host he addresses 
to the faithful the wish : " The peace of the 
Lord be ever with you"; he proceeds now to 
pray with more emphasis for peace in the Agnus 
Dei and in the prayer immediately following. 
Having then covered the chalice with the pall, 
bowing down before the altar, he says : " Lamb 
of God, who takest away the sins of the world, 



Breaking of the Host to Communion. 281 

have mercy on 11s. Lamb of God, who takest 
away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. 
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the 
world, grant ns Thy peace. Lord Jesus Christ, 
who saidst to Thy apostles, Peace I leave you, 
My peace I give you; regard not my sins, but 
the faith of Thy Church, and be pleased to keep 
her according to Thy will in peace and unity. 
Who livest and reignest God, forever and ever. 
Amen." 

The priest repeats three times the Agnus Dei, 
twice with the prayer "have mercy on us," and 
the third time he adds: "Grant us peace." 
Originally "have mercy on us" was repeated 
thrice; but later on, the Church, assailed by all 
sorts of trials and tribulations, as Innocent III. 
observes, deemed advisable to pray during Mass, 
"Grant us peace," that her request might be the 
more surely granted. To express the feelings of 
his sinfulness and the contrition of his heart, 
the priest strikes his breast three times while 
saying " Have mercy on us" and " Grant us 
peace;" the contrition of heart is the best dis- 
position to the acquisition of true peace. In 
Masses for the dead, the words "Have mercy on 
us" ,and " Grant us peace" are replaced by 



282 Breaking of the Host to Communion. 

"Grant them rest" and " Grant them everlasting 
rest;" at these words the priest does not strike 
his breast, to indicate that in those Masses, 
offered especially for them, he thinks more of 
them than of himself. 

Christ is called here the Lamb of God. In the 
Old Law the lamb was one of the ordinary vic- 
tims offered ; it was a figure of Jesus Christ, the 
only true Lamb, " who taketh away the sins of 
the world," who satisfied for sin by dying for 
sinners. The lamb is the figure of innocence, 
of meekness, of submission, and of willing sac- 
rifice, while it lets itself be led to slaughter 
without resistance. All these qualities apply 
to Jesus, considered as the Supreme Sacrifice. 
Christ is the "Lamb of God," not only because 
He is the sacrifice for the salvation of the world, 
according to His Father's will and for His honor, 
but also because He is God's beloved Son, in 
whom the fulness of the divinity dwells. He 
takes away the sins of the world, because He is 
the Son of God, because God is well pleased with 
Him. As in Holy Writ the lamb is generally a 
figure of the Redeemer, and the blessed in 
heaven sing the praises of the Lamb without 
ceasing, so also does the Church delight in 



Breaking of the Host to Communion. 283 

representing the Saviour to us as the Lamb of 
God. Whenever the priest gives holy com- 
munion to the faithful, he introduces to them 
Jesus Christ with the words of St. John the 
Baptist: "Behold the Lamb of God! Behold 
Him who taketh away the sins of the world!" 
The Church always concludes her litanies with 
a threefold invocation to the Lamb of God. In 
Masses for the dead to the Agnus Dei is added 
twice "grant them rest" and the third time 
"grant them everlasting rest," the rest, namely, 
which can be enjoyed only in the eternal father- 
land. The prayer that follows the Agnus Dei 
is called the prayer for peace. In this and the 
two following prayers the priest addresses direct- 
ly the Son, really present under the sacramental 
species. Humbly inclined and with eyes fixed 
on the holy host, he continues to pray for that 
precious peace, not for himself alone, but for the 
whole Church. Not without reason does the 
Church insist so much on peace. "So great a 
boon is peace," says St. Augustine, "that even in 
earthly and perishable goods there is nothing 
sweeter, nothing more desirable, nothing better 
than peace." The peace of Christ brings with it 
friendship with God, tranquillity of mind, calm- 



284 Breaking of the Host to Communion, 

ness in temptations and persecutions, and recip- 
rocal harmony among men. Interior peace of 
the sotil with God and with herself and exterior 
peace with his neighbor, in a word, the peace of 
God, is a blessing which surpasseth all under- 
standing. The peace which Christ left to His 
disciples is a peace which the world can neither 
give nor take away. Christ has obtained true 
peace for us by His death; we rely on God's 
infallible word when asking His peace for the 
Church militant. Prayer, however, to be effi- 
cacious must be humble; therefore the priest 
prays that God may not regard his unworthiness, 
his sins, but may take into consideration only the 
faith of his spotless bride, in order that she, as 
He desires, may perfect her course in this world 
in union and peace. At a Solemn High Mass a 
ceremony here takes place concerning which we 
must add a few words. While the priest says 
the prayer for peace, the deacon kneels at the 
right of the priest; after the prayer is ended, 
the deacon rises, both kiss the altar, and the 
priest gives to the deacon the kiss of peace ; the 
deacon gives it to the subdeacon, and the sub- 
deacon to the other clergy in the sanctuary. 
The kiss of peace is the figure of union and love. 



Breaking of the Host to Communion. 285 

Often in a Solemn Mass the ministers of the altar 
kiss the hand of the celebrant, as a token of re- 
spect. The hand is the figure of power; the 
anointed hand of the priest who touches and dis- 
tributes the Most Holy is entitled to that token 
of respect. According to the Roman ceremonial, 
the Pax, or kiss of peace, is given before the com- 
munion; the introduction of this disposition 
seems to date from the days of Pope Innocent I. 
Fomerly, however, the kiss of peace was not 
given as it is now. They made use then of a 
little piece of wood or other material, on which 
the image of Christ or of a saint was painted or 
engraved, and which was presented to the ven- 
eration of all present ; it was called Osculatoriiim. 
Later on this practice ceased, and the giving of 
the kiss of peace was limited to the assistant 
clergy. In Solemn Masses for the dead the 
kiss of peace is omitted, because, observed St. 
Thomas, the sacrifice is then offered, not for 
present peace, but for the eternal rest of the de- 
ceased. On Holy Thursday the kiss of peace is 
also omitted, to express the grief and sorrow of 
the Church at the treacherous kiss of Judas. 
The kiss of peace is further omitted on Good 
Friday and Holy Saturday, because Christ, who 



286 Breaking of the Host to Communion. 

is our true peace, did not promulgate peace until 
the day of His resurrection, when He said to 
His apostles : " Peace be to you. " 

Priest and deacon kiss the altar to greet Christ 
and His saints with love and veneration, and 
thereby to confirm the mystical union existing 
between the Church militant on earth and the 
Church triumphant in heaven. The immacu- 
late bride of Christ upon earth wishes as far as 
possible to imitate the life of the saints in 
heaven; often have we remarked that she fol- 
lows what the Holy Scriptures have revealed to 
us of the heavenly Jerusalem. If the first Chris- 
tians had, as Scripture testifies, but one heart 
and one soul, it is easy to understand how much 
stronger the bonds of mutual love must be 
among the saints in heaven. The union among 
the faithful, signified by the kiss of peace, and 
for which the Church prays so fervently, must 
be as perfect a copy as possible of that heavenly 
union. The kiss of peace is a beautiful prepara- 
tion for the actual or spiritual reception of holy 
communion, the sacrament of love and union. 



CHAPTER XXIV. 



THE COMMUNION. 

The moment is now at hand when the priest 
will nourish himself with the bread of angels, 
with the true body and blood of the God-Man. 
Immeasurable are the treasures of grace and sal- 
vation wherewith the Lord favors the soul that 
receives Him in holy communion if it places 
no obstacles to their bestowal. But, alas! so 
many unruly inclinations, so many venial sins 
perhaps shut the gate of divine mercy; that is, 
they prevent us from receiving the superabun- 
dant graces which we would otherwise receive. 
The heart is often so taken up with earthly cares 
that no room is left to the divine outpourings. 
The priest, mindful of his own misery, addresses 
two fervent prayers to Our Saviour, whom he is 
about to receive, that he may be as worthy as 
possible to unite himself with his Lord and 
Master. With eyes fixed on the sacred Host, 
his heart burning with love for Jesus concealed 



288 



The Communion. 



under the sacramental species, he says: " Lord 
Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, who, accord- 
ing to the will of Thy Father, through the co- 
operation of the Holy Ghost, hast by Thy death 
given life to the world ; deliver me, by this most 
sacred body and blood, from all my iniquities 
and from all evils ; make me always adhere to 
Thy commandments, and suffer me never to be 
separated from Thee; who with the same God 
the Feather and the Holy Ghost livest and reign- 
est God forever and ever. Amen. Let not the 
receiving of Thy body, O Lord Jesus Christ, 
which I, although unworthy, presume to take, 
turn to my judgment and condemnation, but 
through Thy mercy may it help me to receive a 
safeguard and remedy, both for body and soul. 
Who livest and reignest with God the Father in 
the unity of the Holy Ghost, God forever and 
ever. Amen." 

The missals existing before the Council of 
Trent contained, besides the prayer for peace 
and the two prayers which we are now to explain, 
many other prayers left to the particular devo- 
tion of the Church. The first of these two 
prayers refers to the communion, which the 
priest is about to receive, but not exclusively; 




COPYRIGHT- 1896 BY BENZIGER BROTHERS. 



AT THE COMMUNION, 



The Communion. 289 

the words "by Thy most sacred body and 
blood," and the general request that follows, in- 
dicate sufficiently that there is question here 
also of the fruits of the sacrifice. This double 
prayer to obtain the fruits of communion and of 
the sacrifice is here very appropriate, for it is very 
probable that the priest who celebrates worthily 
receives at least a part of the special fruits of the 
sacrifice, when it is consummated, namely, in 
holy communion. The second prayer seems to 
refer exclusively to the communion. Without re- 
gard to the contents of the prayer, we might see 
this from the fact that on Good Friday, when 
the two preceding prayers are omitted, this 
prayer is said. On Good Friday the priest re- 
ceives communion under one form only and does 
not offer the sacrifice, as the two species of bread 
and wine would then be necessary. On Good 
Friday the Church is so absorbed with the 
thought of the sacrifice consummated on Calvary 
that she does not wish to renew it that day on 
our altars. She takes part in the mystery by 
communion; therefore she omits the prayer in 
which mention of the sacrifice is made. Our 
Saviour once asked His disciples: "Whom do 
you say that I am?" (Matt. xvi. 15). Peter, the 
19 



290 The Communion. 

chief of the apostles, made this solemn profes- 
sion of faith : " Thou art Christ, the Son of the 
living God." Peter saw only the humanity and 
he professed the divinity; therefore he was 
called blessed, and his faith was praised and re- 
warded. On the altar the divinity and human- 
ity of Jesus Christ are really present, but both 
are covered with the impenetrable veil of the 
sacramental appearances. The priest therefore 
makes first a solemn profession of his belief in 
the real presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacra- 
ment. To Him he speaks, though hidden from 
his eyes: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living 
God." The Redeemer was called Jesus, because 
He would save His people. By His death He 
has given life to us, who were seated in darkness 
and in the shadow of death. The work of Re- 
demption was accomplished by the Son " accord- 
ing to the will of the Father" and "through the 
co-operation of the Holy Ghost." For the Father 
did not spare His Son, but sent Him on earth, 
loaded Him with the sins of mankind, and sen- 
tenced Him to death on the cross. Christ, on 
His part, out of love for His Father, was 
obedient even unto death. The Holy Ghost 
formed the body and blood of Christ, which is 



The Communion, 291 

offered for us in holy Mass, in the chaste womb 
of Mary, and infused into Him the burning love 
for His Father which caused Him to consume 
Himself for His honor and the salvation of man- 
kind, because by the Holy Ghost He offered Him- 
self unspotted unto God (Heb. ix. 14). "The 
cause why Christ shed His blood," says St. 
Thomas, " was the Holy Ghost, by whose motion 
He has done so, that is, by the love of God and 
of man." The work of the Redemption will be 
renewed and continued on the altar unto the end 
of time. " For as often as you shall eat this bread 
and drink the chalice, you shall show the death 
of the Lord until He come" (1 Cor. xi. 26). In 
virtue of that most sacred body which is offered 
for us, in virtue of that adorable blood which 
speaks to the heart of God far more powerfully 
than the blood of Abel, we may ask with confi- 
dence to be delivered from all evils and pray for 
all that can make us happy indeed. The Holy 
Eucharist, considered as a sacrifice of propitia- 
tion, delivers us chiefly from all iniquities and all 
evils ; therefore this first request refers princi- 
pally to the sacrifice. The second request, 
namely, faithful adhesion to the divine com- 
mandments and inseparable union with Christ, 



292 The Communion. 

refers more to the Holy Eucharist considered as 
a sacrament — for the last two favors are an effect 
of holy communion— the pious and frequent re- 
ception of which is, according to the Fathers, a 
sure sign of predestination ; it makes us avoid 
sin, increase in the love of God, become rich in 
merits, and run with giant steps in the path of 
God's commandments. How touching are the 
words : " Never suffer me to be separated from 
Thee," at the moment that the priest unites him- 
self as closely as possible with his God and 
Saviour! What can the world be to him with- 
out Jesus? Without Jesus, it is a hell; with 
Jesus, a sweet paradise. 

In the last prayer before communion the priest 
begins by humbly acknowledging his unworthi- 
ness ; then he prays that the Lord may preserve 
him from the misfortune of an unworthy com- 
munion, and grant him plentifully the graces of 
a worthy communion. The priest confesses that 
he is unworthy to eat the bread of angels ; he 
knows that he has to prove himself before eating 
of that bread and drinking of that chalice, " for 
he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth 
and drinketh judgment to himself" (1 Cor. xi. 
28, 29). When the priest confesses his un- 



The Communion. 293 

worthiness, he does not mean that his soul is 
stained with mortal sin. Far be the thought 
that a priest would dare to ascend the altar- 
steps and be guilty of a sacrilegious communion. 
There is no question here of such unworthiness. 
On the other hand, who can deem himself worthy 
to eat the bread of angels? Our frailty and the 
weakness of our will are so great that a perfect 
disposition is always wanting; for we are never 
as perfect as we w T ould wish. When we have 
done all in our power to prepare ourselves 
worthily for holy communion, we must still con- 
fess that our heart is not worthy to receive the 
Lord and Master of all. This humble confession 
is a very favorable disposition, because the Lord 
gives His graces to the humble. A sacrilegious 
communion is a crime so horrible that the priest 
is seized with fear at the thought of such a possi- 
bility. In the spirit of humility, caused by the 
memory of his unworthiness, he prays that this 
holy communion may not tend to his judgment 
and condemnation. But he knows also that 
God is the God of all mercy, that Our Saviour 
came on earth, not for the healthy, but for the 
sick ; that He has taken our crimes upon Himself 
and has satisfied for them on the altar of the 



294 The Communion. 

cross; he asks that in virtue of the paternal 
kindness of the Lord, who nourishes us with His 
own body and blood, this communion may be 
to him a source of blessings, a safeguard and 
remedy for body and soul. Holy communion is 
the best weapon against the enemies who unre- 
mittingly and fiercely assail us ; there is no truce 
in the fight between nature and grace, the spirit 
and the flesh, virtue and sin. Holy communion 
is also the best means to repair past injuries 
and heal the wounds received. It confirms in 
us the life of grace, increases love, strengthens 
us against dangers, and animates the soul to 
a heavenly and supernatural life. Holy com- 
munion is a safeguard and a remedy, not only 
for the soul, but also for the body, and that in 
two ways: mediately, because the abundance of 
graces with which holy communion enriches the 
soul is communicated by it to the body so in- 
timately united with it; by the graces which 
the soul receives the force of sensual nature is 
also broken and weakened. We believe that 
holy communion also exercises immediately a 
salutary influence on the body of him who re- 
ceives worthily. By communion we receive the 
body and blood of Christ; we are therefore not 



The Communion. 295 

only spiritually united to Him but also bodily ; 
by communion we become perfect members of 
Christ, and in a certain sense one body and one 
blood with Him ; in other words, blood rela- 
tions of Christ, as St. Cyril of Jerusalem ex- 
presses it. As on earth the body contributes 
to the workings of the soul, and as both work 
together for the acquisition of eternal salvation, 
so also shall the body have a share in the glori- 
fication to come. Both body and soul are there- 
fore healed by holy communion, safeguarded 
and protected for eternal life. 

After these preparatory prayers, the priest 
kneels again to profess once more his faith in 
the Real Presence of Jesus Christ, and to adore 
Him. To express his hunger and burning desire 
for that heavenly manna, the priest repeats the 
words of the Royal Prophet: "I will take the 
celestial bread and call on the name of the Lord" 
(Ps. cxv.). Then he takes the host and the 
paten in his left hand, slightly inclines his head, 
and repeats three times, while striking his breast 
with the right hand, the following words: 
" Lord, I am not worthy That thou shouldst enter 
under my roof, say but the word and my soul 
shall be healed." Simple as these words 



296 The Communion. 

are, they express touchingly the humility and 
the confidence of the priest when about to par- 
take of the heavenly bread. St. Matthew relates 
that on one occasion a centurion from Caphar- 
naum wended his way to Jesus to obtain health 
for his servant. Our Saviour consented to the 
request of the centurion, and volunteered even to 
go to his house to cure the sick man. The cen- 
turion thought himself unworthy the favor of 
receiving Our Saviour under his roof, and an- 
swered in those beautiful words so expressive 
of deep humility and lively confidence. The 
Church makes these words her own whenever 
she distributes to her children the bread of 
angels, in order to excite in them the sentiments 
of the centurion of Capharnaum: humility on 
account of their unworthiness, and confidence in 
God, who by a word can make them worthy. 
He invites us all to His table: "Come to me, all 
you that labor and are burdened, and I will re- 
fresh you" (Matt. xi. 28); He even threatens us 
with eternal damnation if we refuse His invita- 
tion. If we cast our eyes on ourselves, we shall 
find nothing but what will frighten us away from 
holy communion ; but one word only from the 
true Physician of our souls is abundantly suffi- 



The Communion. 297 

cient to heal all. Jesus not only speaks that 
word, but He comes in person into the dwelling 
of the human body; the sick soul will then un- 
doubtedly be cured. 

The solemn moment of communion is now at 
hand ; the Lord is about to make His entry into 
the heart of the priest. He then takes the host 
into his right hand, makes with it the sign of 
the cross over himself, while he says : " May the 
body of Our Lord Jesus Christ guard my soul 
unto eternal life. Amen." Then with humility 
and respect, with attention and love, he takes the 
bread of love, which God in His sweetness has 
prepared for the poor and the hungry. The 
priest prays only for the salvation of the soul, 
but that does not exclude the salvation of the 
body, for the salvation of the soul is the salva- 
tion of the body. United with his God and 
Saviour as intimately as possible, the priest 
tastes and experiences how sweet is the Lord. 
He can exclaim now with the bride in the Can- 
ticle of Canticles : " My beloved to me and I to 
Him ... I have found Him whom my soul 
loveth: I held Him and I will not let Him go" 
(Cant. ii. 16; iii. 4). With similar thoughts the 
priest occupies his mind for the few moments 



2gS The Communion. 

prescribed by the rubrics to be spent in pious 
recollection of the great favor ^hich he has re- 
ceived. Then he proceeds to the communion of 
the chalice. As the consecration of the two 
species is necessary for the sacrifice, so is the 
communion under both appearances required for 
the perfection of the same. After a few- 
moments of pious meditation over the adorable 
sacrament, the priest uncovers the chalice, 
kneels respectfully to adore his God, hidden 
under the appearance of wine. He then gathers 
on the paten the little particles of the host 
which may have accidentally remained on the 
corporal, because, let us not forget it, Christ is 
whole and entire in each particle of the host, 
with His divinity and humanity; that is the 
reason why the Church is so careful that no par- 
ticle, however small, may be lost. Should there 
be any particles of the host on the paten, these 
are taken with the precious blood. Meanwhile 
the priest says a few verses taken from Psalms 
cxv. and xvii., which are a beautiful preparation 
for the communion of the chalice : " What shall I 
render to the Lord for all the things that He 
hath rendered to me? I w T ill take the chalice of 
salvation : and I will call upon the name of the 



The Communion. 299 

Lord. Praising I will call upon the Lord: and I 
shall be saved from my enemies/' When the 
priest considers the inconceivable love of God, 
who gives Himself in holy communion without 
reserve to a poor creature, and gives thereby a 
pledge of future glory, his heart must overflow 
with gratitude towards the Giver of all good gifts, 
and he exclaims in astonishment : " What shall I 
render to the Lord, for all the things that He hath 
rendered to me?" God gives to the priest infinite 
gifts, because He communicates Himself entirely 
to him with His divinity and humanity. What 
can he, needy as he is, render for this? Noth- 
ing but what he has already received, because 
all that is good comes from God. The holy 
sacrifice of the Mass is also a gift of God ; the 
material elements and what they conceal after 
consecration from our eyes are gifts of God ; but 
these gifts are the most precious, the most sub- 
lime and the most holy that we can present to 
God. Considering then what remains on the 
altar after the communion of the host, the priest 
says with confidence : " I will take the chalice of 
salvation, and I will call upon the name of the 
Lord." By that chalice David certainly does not 
understand a common drink ; his words are pro- 



300 The Communion. 

phetical. We readily understand that man must 
be saved by a drink with which no other can be 
compared, a drink which can be nothing else 
than the blood of the Lord, Now he can praise 
the Lord; fortified by His gifts, he is enabled to 
sing His praises ; saved from his enemies, he will 
have nothing to fear. The priest then takes the 
chalice with his right hand and holds with his 
left the paten under his chin, and making with 
the chalice a cross on himself, he says : " May 
the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ guard my soul 
unto eternal life. Amen." Then he takes with 
great reverence the precious blood and the par- 
ticles of the host which he had mingled with 
it at the time when he addressed his greeting of 
peace to the people. The chalice of salvation 
communicates to the soul an abundance of hap- 
piness, which overflows on the body; it unites 
body and soul by the strongest bonds to their 
God, and subdues the voice of the flesh. 

At the solemn moment of communion the 
priest becomes one body, one heart, and one soul 
with the sacrificed Jesus. The most appropriate 
time for the faithful to receive holy communion 
is also during Mass. They have offered the 
sacrifice with the priest; they have been co- 



The Communion, 301 

offerers; many of the foregoing prayers served 
to prepare the priest and themselves for holy 
communion. In the prayers following com- 
munion the priest invariably prays in the plural, 
not for himself alone but for all those who re- 
ceived. St. Charles Borromeo admonished the 
pastors of his archdiocese to see that the ancient 
custom of distributing holy communion during 
Mass be observed. Formerly the faithful re- 
ceived holy communion under both species. 
This custom lasted until about the twelfth cen- 
tury, when the Church subsequently abolished it 
for weighty reasons. First, out of reverence for 
the precious blood, which was in danger of being- 
spilled. Secondly, because in certain places it 
was very difficult, well-nigh impossible, to pro- 
cure a sufficient quantity of wine. Thirdly, as a 
refutation of two heretical doctrines. A disciple 
of the heretic Huss had the audacity to pretend 
that it w T as a sacrilege to receive communion 
under one appearance only. Others pretended 
that receiving under one appearance was not 
receiving the whole Christ. Every Christian 
knows that we receive the same divine substance 
under one appearance as well as when we receive 
both, because Christ is present whole and entire 



302 The Communion, 

under each appearance and each particle thereof. 
Moreover, in the first ages of Christianity receiv- 
ing tinder both species seems to have been lim- 
ited to communion during Mass only. At all 
other times the faithful received under one ap- 
pearance only, so that the Church introduced 
nothing new in regard to this. Communion un- 
der one appearance is in no ways against the 
command of Christ, who gave Himself to the two 
disciples at Emmaus under one appearance only. 
This at least we may conclude from the Scrip- 
tural narrative, where it is expressly stated that 
they knew Him in the breaking of the bread; 
not a word is said of the chalice. How then can 
communion under one appearance be called a 
sacrilege? Those who do not receive sacramen- 
tally should endeavor to make a fervent spiritual 
communion, that is, try to unite themselves with 
the Saviour hidden in the Blessed Sacrament 
with a lively faith, a true contrition, a sincere 
love, and a burning desire; this is a means to 
enrich the soul with many and precious graces. 

After the priest has finished distributing com- 
munion to the faithful, he proceeds to purify the 
chalice. Faith teaches us that Christ is really 
present under each particle, however small, of 



The Communion. 303 

the sacramental species. In consequence there 
are many ecclesiastical rubrics, which the priest 
must carefully observe during Mass, that no 
particle of either species may be lost. After 
consecration he must always keep the thumb and 
the index finger together ; whenever he touches 
the host, he must clean his fingers over the 
chalice; after communion he must gather with 
the paten the small particles of the host, follow- 
ing which the chalice and the hands must be 
purified. Immediately after the communion of 
the precious blood, if there is no communion to 
be administered, without meditating for a few 
moments, as he did after the communion of the 
host, the priest lets the acolyte pour a little wine 
into the chalice, while he says the following 
prayer : " Let us receive what we have taken 
with our mouth, O Lord, with a pure heart, and 
of the temporal gift become unto us an eternal 
remedy." These few words contain a double 
prayer. First, the priest asks that his sacramen- 
tal communion may also be a spiritual, that is, a 
worthy communion. In holy communion we re- 
ceive indeed Christ ; we eat, in the proper sense 
of the word, the flesh of the Saviour and drink 
His blood; but in order that this sacramental 



304 The Communion. 

union be unto us the source of all graces, we 
must receive our heavenly Guest with a pure 
heart, that is, a heart free from all earthly and 
perishable things, and filled with heavenly love 
and a burning desire after heavenly treasures. 
Secondly, the priest asks that this temporal gift 
become unto him an eternal remedy. By tem- 
poral gifts are meant here the sacrifice and the 
sacrament. They are a temporal gift ; first, be- 
cause they are consummated in time, on a deter- 
mined moment; they are therefore gifts of time; 
secondly, because both are meant for time only, 
not for eternity, since by the sacrifice of the altar 
the death of Christ is to be announced until He 
shall come; in eternity no mysteries will be 
needed, because we shall see God face to face. 
Thirdly, they may also be called a temporal gift, 
because they are consummated in a short time. 
This temporal gift, when received with a pure 
heart, is to us an eternal remedy; it guards our 
souls unto everlasting life, and is for us a sure 
pledge of future glory. 

After the communion of the precious blood, 
wine but no water is poured into the chalice, 
because, as St. Thomas says, "wine is of its 
nature more appropriate to remove from the 




COPYRIGHT- 1896- BY BENZIGER BROTHERS 



AT THE POST-COMMUNION. 



o 



The Communion. 305 

chalice and the mouth of the priest every particle 
of the holy species." Wine mixes better with 
itself than water; consequently ( it is easier re- 
moved with w r ine than with water. When, how- 
ever, we speak of wine, w r e mean the appear- 
ances, not the substance, for the few drops which 
adhere to the chalice are no longer wine, but the 
blood of Christ. Probably the most plausible 
reason why after communion wine is first poured 
into the chalice is respect for the sacred species. 
Should one pour so much water into the conse- 
crated chalice as to remove the appearance of 
wine, Christ would cease to be present. For the 
same reasons first a few drops of wine are poured 
over the fingers of the priest and then water; 
afterwards he wipes them with the purificator. 

During the washing of the hands the priest says 
the following prayer: "May Thy body, O Lord, 
which I have received, and Thy blood, which I 
have drunk, adhere to my bowels, and grant that 
there may remain no stain of wickedness in 
me, whom the pure and holy sacraments have 
nourished. Who livest and reignest forever and 
ever. Amen." This, like the foregoing prayer, 
seems to have been composed in the very first 

ages of Christianity. The body and blood of 
20 



306 The Communion. 

Christ remain as long as the sacramental species 
have not been consumed. When we therefore 
ask in this prayer that they may adhere to our 
bowels, we do not mean that the sacred body and 
blood of Christ may continually remain in us in 
substance, but that the sacramental power and 
grace may remain, so that we may be able to 
say in truth with the Apostle of the Gentiles: 
" And I live, now not I, but Christ liveth in me" 
(Gal. ii. 20). The priest asks that the effects, 
that is, the power and the grace of this sacra- 
ment may adhere to his bowels (" adhcereat visceri- 
bus meis"), meaning not the material parts of the 
body, with which the body and blood of Christ 
do not unite like corporal food, but the bowels 
of the soul, that is, the faculties of the soul, 
namely: understanding, will, and memory, which 
are fed in a divine manner by holy communion : 
the understanding by many illuminations; the 
will by the enkindling of divine love; the mem- 
ory by a fresh remembrance of the passion of 
our blessed Saviour; for the sacrifice and the 
communion are a remembrance of His passion. 
The priest begs that there may not remain in 
him any stain of sin. Hereby we understand 
the remnants of forgiven mortal sin, and also all 



The Communion. 307 

venial sins, in order that, free from them, the 
priest may be, in as far as it is possible to man, 
a perfect imitation of the God of all purity, 
whom he has received in holy communion. We 
cannot conclude this chapter more fittingly than 
by these beautiful words of the " Following of 
Christ :" "Oh, how clean ought to be the hands, 
how pure the mouth, how holy the body, how 
immaculate the heart of the priest, into whom 
the Author of purity so often enters!" (Book 
iv., chap, xi.) "Be ye holy; for I am the Lord 
your God" (Lev. xx. 7). 



CHAPTER XXV. 



THE THANKSGIVING AND THE END. 

A beautiful trait in the life of St. Francis of 
Assisi explains the purpose of the prayers fol- 
lowing communion. St. Francis on one occasion, 
journeying with one of his spiritual children, on 
a suffocating summer day, came to a spot w r here 
he could with his companion quench his thirst at 
a clear fountain, and shield himself against the 
rays of the sun under the shade of a tree. They 
sat down, took a piece of hard bread which had 
been given them, dipped it in the water, drank 
and ate. Meanwhile abundant tears streamed 
down the cheeks of the saint. Masseus, the 
brother, asked him: "Good Father, why do you 
weep?" "Can I refrain from shedding tears of 
gratitude," answered St. Francis, "while our 
heavenly Father has prepared here so precious a 
repast?" Masseus smiled; it seemed somewhat 
exaggerated to him to call a piece of hard bread 
and a little water a precious repast. The saint 



The Thanksgiving and tlic End. 309 

then continued : " Remember, brother, how lov- 
ingly the Lord cared for us. Foreseeing from 
all eternity that we would come here to-day dy- 
ing with thirst, His paternal care caused a tree 
to grow here and a clear fountain to spring up, 
that we might rest and eat in a refreshing place 
the bread which charitable hands have given us in 
His name. Have we deserved it? Shall then not 
this infinite love cause me to shed tears of affec- 
tion and gratitude?'' Thus did St. Francis think 
about a crust of bread and a drink of fresh water. 

Let us consider then what we have received in 
holy communion and we w T ill understand our 
duty. We have eaten the bread of angels, the 
body and blood of the God-Man ; it is our duty 
to thank God for this the most precious gift 
which in His omnipotence He can possibly give 
us. The public thanksgiving, which the Church 
prescribes as part of holy Mass, is short, but it 
is not her intention that we should limit our 
thanksgiving by it. She would judge her chil- 
dren very ungrateful if they were to satisfy 
themselves with that short thanksgiving, and 
who, perhaps with Jesus' sacred body and blood 
still in their hearts, were to leave the church and 
give themselves over to their earthly avoca- 



310 The Thanksgiving and the End. 

tions. A thanksgiving of a quarter of an hotir, 
if possible, is certainly not too much. 

After the priest has wiped his fingers, he drinks 
the wine and water in the chalice, purifies the 
chalice, and arranges it as it was before the Offer- 
tory, with the exception that the corporal is fold- 
ed, put into the burse, and the burse placed over 
the chalice. He then proceeds to the epistle side, 
to which the missal has meanwhile been carried 
by the acolyte, and reads the antiphon, called 
Communio. In the first ages of Christianity 
all who assisted at Mass also received holy 
communion. The following words of Pope 
Calixtus, who governed the Church in the 
third century, clearly express that existing 
practice: u After consecration, all should re- 
ceive communion if they do not wish to be ex- 
cluded from ecclesiastical union, because the 
apostles have so decreed." This custom seems 
to have been general until about the fifth cen- 
tury. Then the fervor of the faithful lan- 
guished, and it became necessary not only to in- 
vite them, but to oblige, even to threaten them 
with ecclesiastical censure, to receive, not every 
day, but at least a few times in the year. In the 
Council of Lateran, held in 12 15, under Pope In- 



The Thanksgiving and the End. 311 

nocent III., this obligation was enjoined with 
severe ecclesiastical censures to approach holy 
communion once a year, about Easter. During 
the first centuries after Christ, priests were not 
so numerous, nor were so many Low Masses said 
as now. In great churches the bishop, assisted 
by the priests, offered the holy sacrifice. At 
those Masses there were, of course, a great many 
communicants, and while holy communion was 
being distributed to the clergy and the laity, 
an antiphon was sung alternately with the 
verses of a psalm, which, when all had com- 
municated, was concluded with the doxology, 
"Glory be to the Father," and the repetition of 
the antiphon ; this canticle was called Communio. 
Later on, that is, about the twelfth century, 
when the practice of celebrating other Masses in 
the same church became more universal, and 
when in consequence there were few or no com- 
munions at many Masses, the psalm was omitted 
and only the antiphon, still called Communio, was 
sung or said. This antiphon is after the Commu- 
nion what the offertorium is before the Offertory. 
It is generally taken from Scripture ; sometimes it 
is an ecclesiastical composition, or even a motto 
of a saint whose feast occurs that day. The 



312 The Thanksgiving and the End. 

Communio is one of the changeable parts of 
Mass, and differs according to the feast to which 
it refers; often, also, as the name indicates, it 
refers to the communion. We add a few ex- 
amples to illustrate what we have said. 

On the feast of the Sacred Heart the Com- 
munio is as follows: " My heart hath expected 
reproach and misery, and I looked for one that 
would grieve together with me, but there was 
none, and for one that would comfort me, and I 
found none/' 

On Pentecost: "Suddenly there came a sound 
from heaven, as of a mighty wind coming, where 
they were sitting, Alleluia: and they were all 
filled with the Holy Ghost, speaking the won- 
drous works of God. Alleluia, Alleluia." 

On the feast of St. Ignatius the Communio is 
the well-known motto of the Saint: "I am 
the wheat of Christ ; may I be ground by the 
teeth of the beasts that I be found a clean 
bread." 

In Masses for the dead the Communio is 
always as follows : " Eternal light shine unto 
them, O Lord, with Thy saints forever, because 
Thou art merciful. Eternal rest grant unto 
them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine unto 



The Thanksgiving and the End. 313 

them. With Thy saints forever, because Thou 
art merciful." 

After reading the Communio, the priest re- 
turns to the middle of the altar, kisses the altar- 
stone, and, turning to the people and extending 
his hands, he addresses to them the customary 
greeting, "The Lord be with you;" to which the 
acolyte in the name of the congregation replies, 
" And with thy spirit." The Communio and the 
reciprocated greeting of priest and faithful are 
an introduction to the last prayer, which is called 
Post-Communio, because it is said after Com- 
munion. In number the prayers after Com- 
munion agree with the Collects and the Secrets, 
but not in contents. The Collects refer exclu- 
sively to the feast of the day ; the Secrets refer 
more particularly to the offering, while the Post- 
Communio generally refers to the Communion. 
The prayer expressed in the Post-Communio is 
extended and corroborated by the circumstance 
of the feast of the day, by the offering of the 
sacrifice, by the partaking of the divine banquet, 
or by all these considerations together. The 
Post-Communio is always said in the plural, be- 
cause the priest does not pray in his own name 
only, but in the name of all and for all who 



314 The Thanksgiving and the End. 

assist at Mass and communicate sacramentally or 
spiritually. For all others, who have neither 
sacramentally nor spiritually communicated, nor 
assisted at Mass, the motives adduced by the 
priest to substantiate his prayer are not realized. 
We add one of those prayers, taken from the 
Roman Missal. On the feast of Corpus Christ! 
the Post-Communio is as follows: " Grant, we 
pray Thee, O Lord, that we may be filled with 
the eternal enjoyment of Thy divinity; which 
the temporal partaking of Thy precious body 
and blood prefigureth. Who livest and reignest 
with God the Father in unity of the Holy Ghost 
forever and ever. Amen." 

The Post-Communio follows for the conclusion 
the same rules as the Collects and the Secrets. 

On week-days during Lent another prayer 
is said or sung, which is called in the Missal 
" Oratio Super Populum" or "Prayer Over the 
People." The rubricists do not agree in regard 
to the origin and purpose of this prayer. It ap- 
pears that in early times this prayer was said not 
only on all week-days, but on all days, even on 
the greatest feasts. It was particularly meant to 
implore God's blessing for those who had not 
received holy communion. At the time of St. 



The Thanksgiving and the End. 315 

Ambrose, according to the testimony of a 
learned writer, all were obliged to communicate; 
the "Prayer Over the People" was then omitted, 
because the prayer after communion was deemed 
sufficient. Nowadays the " Prayer Over the Peo- 
ple" is said only on the week-days of Lent ; this is 
probably a remnant of an ancient practice of 
singing the Vespers immediately after the com- 
munion of the priest, as is done still on Holy 
Saturday; the prayer of the Vespers was then 
the " Prayer Over the People." 

Having said or sung the Post-Communio, the 
priest returns to the middle of the altar, turns 
towards the people, and addresses them once more 
the customary greeting: "The Lord be with 
you." At the end of Mass this greeting includes 
in particular the wish that the fruits of the sacri- 
fice and the communion may be preserved in the 
souls of all present, that, fortified with the body 
and blood of Christ, they may in future live and 
grow in His love and grace, and bring forth 
abundant fruits of salvation. After this in a 
Solemn Mass the deacon sings, or in a Low Mass 
the priest says: " Ite, missa est" " Benedicamus 
Domino" or " Re quie scant in pace." For the "Ite, 
missa est" only the priest is turned towards the 



316 The Thanksgiving and the End. 

people; for the other two concluding greetings 
he faces the altar. " Ite, missa est" is often trans- 
lated by "Go, the Mass is said," or "The service 
is over/' but that is not the proper meaning of 
those words. The Church has borrowed this 
sentence from the ancient Romans, who used it 
in their public meetings to announce that the 
meeting was over and permission was given to 
all to retire. In the first centuries of Christian- 
ity the word Missa was not used to express the 
holy sacrifice of Mass ; much later that meaning 
was attached to it. The faithful met to cele- 
brate the holy mysteries, and when these were 
concluded the deacon gave them leave to go, as 
was done at all public assemblies. Later on, 
when Missa was used to mean Mass, all was con- 
fused, in so far that even the word Missa was here 
written with a capital, and " Ite, Missa est" trans- 
lated by "Go, the Mass is said," which was cer- 
tainly not the original meaning. In Latin the 
word concio, or any other such word, is understood, 
and the meaning is : " Go, the assembly is dis- 
missed;" that is, leave is given to go. Before the 
eleventh century, " Ite, missa est" was said at all 
Masses ; it was determined later on that only on 
the days and in the Masses of a festive and joy- 



The Thanksgiving and the End. 317 

ful character the " Ite, missa est" should be said. 
The general rule is that whenever the Canticle of 
the Angels, u Gloria in excelsis," occurs, " Ite, 
missa est" is also said ; otherwise it is replaced by 
" Benedicamus Domino" or " Requiescant in pace" 
On the days devoted to penance and sorrow, the 
deacon sings at the end of Mass : " Benedicamus 
Domino ." Cardinal Bona is of opinion that on 
those days the " Ite, missa est" is omitted because 
the faithful did not leave the church immediate- 
ly at the end of Mass, but remained to assist at 
other prayers. To " Ite, missa est" or " Bene- 
dicamus Domino," the first of which announce 
the end of Mass directly, the other indirectly, the 
acolyte replies in the name of the people : " Deo 
gratias" — "Thanks be to God." A feeling of 
gratitude must at this moment overpower the 
souls of the faithful, after having had the happi- 
ness of assisting at the holy mysteries and hav- 
ing been enriched with the most precious graces. 
In Masses for the dead, as we have frequently 
remarked, many prayers and ceremonies are 
omitted, which either signify the participation 
of the living in the fruits of the sacrifice, or con- 
tain the sentiments of joy and festivity. This is 
why the festive tones of the " Ite, missa est" are 



318 The Thanksgiving and the End. 

not heard in Masses for the dead; moreover, at 
the end of those Masses the faithful remained to 
assist at other prayers for the repose of the souls 
in purgatory. Since the twelfth century the 
practice became universal of concluding the Mass 
for the dead with the beautiful wish : " Rcquies- 
cant in pace' — "May they rest in peace," which 
is an abbreviation of the prayer so often recur- 
ring in the liturgy: " May the souls of the faith- 
ful departed through the mercy of God rest in 
peace/' These simple words include all that we 
can wish to the suffering souls, namely, eternal 
rest, the beatific vision of God in heavenly 
glory. The faithful echo the sentiment of the 
priest and answer, "Amen." The holy sacrifice 
of Mass was concluded in this manner until 
about the twelfth century. In the sixteenth cen- 
tury the prayer " Placeat" the Blessing, and the 
Gospel of St. John were universally added. 
After the " Ite, missa est," the priest turns around 
to the altar and, bowing his head, he says silently : 
" May the homage of my servitude please Thee, 
O Holy Trinity, and grant that the sacrifice, 
which I, unworthy, have offered before the eyes 
of Thy divine majesty, be acceptable to Thee, 
and to me, and to all those for whom I have 



The Thanksgiving and the End, 319 

offered it, may it, through Thy mercy, be pro- 
pitiatory. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen." 

This prayer is a short repetition of all the 
prayers which have been said during Mass 
either before or after Consecration. First of all, 
the priest declares once more to what end he has 
offered the holy sacrifice, by acknowledging his 
subjection to the Blessed Trinity ; in other words, 
to honor God, which is the chief end of Mass. 
Then, fearing lest on account of his unworthy 
disposition the offering of the sacrifice may not, 
on the part of the minister, be acceptable to 
God, the priest humbly asks that the Lord may 
not look down on his unworthiness and that the 
offering may be pleasing to Him. Finally, he prays 
that he and all those for whom he has offered the 
holy sacrifice may, through the mercy of God, 
enjoy the fruits of it, and that it may be to them 
in particular a propitiatory sacrifice to appease 
God's wrath. It will be needless here to develop 
these points, which we have sufficiently ex- 
plained in the preceding chapters. 

The " Placeat," besides being a short repetition 
of the foregoing prayers, is also an appropriate 
preparation to the blessing. For all good gifts 
come to us through Christ, who sacrifices Him- 



320 The Thanksgiving and the End, 

self on the altar for our salvation ; the holy 
sacrifice of Mass is to us the source of all bless- 
ings ; the priest is the channel which distributes 
God's graces. After the "Placeat" the priest 
kisses the altar, and pronounces the blessing 
over the people in a loud voice : " May Almighty 
God bless you, the Father, the Son, and the 
Holy Ghost." The acolyte answers: "Amen." 
Simple and significant are the ceremonies which 
accompany these words. At the first words the 
priest lifts his hands and eyes to heaven, then 
makes an inclination to the cross, turns to the 
people, and makes over them the sign of the 
cross, while he names individually the Three 
Divine Persons. The priest kisses the altar; 
this connects the " Placeat" to the giving of the 
blessing. In the " Placeat" the priest prays that 
the sacrifice offered may be acceptable to God, 
and that the whole Church may partake of the 
fruits thereof; the union of the faithful with 
Christ and His saints is thereby strengthened 
and perfected. The kissing of the altar repre- 
sents not only our respectful homage to the 
Church triumphant, but also our union with 
Christ represented by the altar, and with the 
saints, whose relics repose in the altar. From 




COPYRIGHT 1896 BY BENZiGER BROTHERS. 



AT THE BLESSING. 



The Thanksgiving and the End. 321 

this living and mystic union of the priest with 
Christ, the priest draws the power of blessing 
the people in the name of the triune God and 
showering upon them an abundance of heavenly 
gifts. In Masses for the dead the priest kisses 
the altar but does not give the blessing, to ex- 
press that in those Masses the principal fruits 
of the offering go to the deceased. At the giv- 
ing of the blessing, the priest makes the sign of 
the cross over the faithful ; the cross is the sign 
of Christ, the source of all blessing and grace. 
From Christ and the apostles comes the tradition 
to make the sign over whatever we bless. This 
last blessing represents the blessing which Our 
Lord gave to His disciples, when ascending 
gloriously into heaven ; w 7 ith extended hands he 
blessed them, according to Holy Scripture; it is 
quite admissible that He made the sign of the 
cross over them. The priest blesses the people 
in the name of the triune and omnipotent God, 
who can grant us every blessing; he prays for 
the blessing of the Father, who for sinful man- 
kind delivered His only Son, and to whom the 
sacrifice has been offered ; for the blessing of the 
Son, who for the love of men was not satisfied 
to die for them once on the cross, but wishes to 



322 The Thanksgiving and the End. 

renew every day the same sacrifice on our altars ; 
for the blessing of the Holy Ghost, by whose co- 
operation Our Saviour was conceived in the 
womb of the Virgin Mary, and who by the fire 
of His love consumes the material elements and 
changes them into the adorable body and blood 
of Christ. The priest does not determine the 
blessings he prays for ; he leaves that to the best 
of fathers, who could give but good things to 
His children, and will not refuse to them the 
necessary means that will enable them to be 
numbered among the blessed on the last day. 

After giving the blessing, the priest proceeds 
to the gospel side and reads generally the begin- 
ning of the Gospel of St. John. We say gener- 
ally, because on some days another Gospel is 
read, namely, in the third Mass on Christmas 
Day, in the Private Masses on Palm Sunday, and 
on the feasts falling on a Sunday, week-day or 
vigil having a special Gospel. The reading of 
the Gospel is preceded by the ordinary greeting, 
" The Lord be with you," to which the acolyte re- 
plies, "And with thy spirit." The priest then 
says : " The beginning of the Holy Gospel accord- 
ing to St. John;" the acolyte says: "Glory be to 
Thee s O Lord." The priest continues: " In the 



The Thanksgiving and the End. 323 

beginning was the Word, and the Word was with 
God, and the Word was God. The same was in 
the beginning with God. All things were made 
by Him, and without Him was made nothing 
that was made. In Him was life, and the life 
was the light of men. And the light shineth in 
darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend 
it. There was a man sent from God, whose 
name was John. This man came for a witness, 
to give testimony of the Light, that all men 
might believe through Him. He was not the 
Light, but was to give testimony of the Light. 
That was the true Light, which enlighteneth 
every man that cometh into this world. He was 
in the world, and the world was made by Him, 
and the world knew Him not. He came unto 
His own and His own received Him not. But 
as many as received Him, He gave them power 
to be made the sons of God, to them that believe 
in His name, who are born not of blood, nor of 
the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but 
of God. And the Word was made flesh and 
dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, the glory 
as it were of the only-begotten of the Father, 
full of grace and truth." 

The practice of reading the Gospel of St. John 



324 The Tha n ks giving and the End. 

at the end of Mass dates from the Middle Ages, 
and a special devotion of the faithful gave occa- 
sion to it. In those days, as in the first ages of 
Christianity, the faithful considered it a great 
favor to have a part of the Gospel, especially the 
Gospel of St. John read over them. The de- 
mands for it, however, became so numerous that 
it was impossible for the priest to satisfy the 
wishes of all; it was thought then advisable to 
read the beginning of that Gospel over all 
present at the end of Mass. The Church holds 
it in great esteem ; she reads it not only at the 
end of Mass, but also in many other circum- 
stances, especially to frustrate the violence of the 
devil by the power of the Saviour, and not with- 
out reason, because in these few words we have 
a synopsis of the whole revelation, in other 
words, of our faith. We find therein expressed 
the mystery of the Blessed Trinity, the creation 
of the world, the relations of the Word with man 
in the beginning, the relations of the Word with 
fallen man, chiefly in heathenism, the fall of 
Judaism, the Incarnation of the Word, His life 
on earth, and the work of our redemption and 
sanctification. We conclude by giving the beau- 
tiful paraphrase of it by a pious writer : " In the 



The Thanksgiving and the End. 325 

beginning, before time had begun, the Word was, 
and the Word was with God, the First Person of 
the Blessed Trinity, differing, however, from the 
Father in person, and God was the Word. The 
Word was in the beginning of time with God, the 
First Person. All created beings have received 
their existence from Him, and without Him noth- 
ing has existence of all that exists. In Him, as 
in its source, is supernatural life, and that life is 
a light for men by the gift of faith, and this light 
of faith shines continually in the darkness of 
ignorance and sin, and the men, who were sur- 
rounded by this darkness, did not receive it. 
There was a man sent by God, whose name was 
John. He came into the world as a witness to 
give testimony of that heavenly Light, that by its 
action all might believe. He was not the Light, 
but only a witness by whom the Light was to be 
made known. The Word was the true and sub- 
lime Light, which by the influence of His grace 
enlightens every man who comes into this world 
by temporal life. The Word revealing Himself 
by creatures, as a cause by its effects, was in the 
world, and the world was made by Him, and yet 
refused to acknowledge Him for its Creator. La- 
ter on He came, clothed with human nature, unto 



326 The Thanksgiving and the End. 

His own, and His people would not receive Him 
for their Messias. Those, however, who re- 
ceived Him as their Saviour He disposed to 
receive the privileges of sons of God. They are 
those who believe in Him as the source of eternal 
life, who are born not of blood, as a material 
cause, nor of the will of man, but of God, as the 
only spiritual cause. And the 'Word was made 
flesh/ that is, has assumed in the unity of 
person human nature, and dwelt among us, and 
we, His disciples, have seen the glory of His 
divinity, which revealed itself by the effects, a 
glory that belongs exclusively to the only-be- 
gotten Son of God ; He dwelt among us, full of 
grace and truth, as an overflowing source, pour- 
ing out upon us grace and truth." 

When the priest says the words, "And the 
Word was made flesh," he kneels to express his 
worshipful admiration of that great mystery. 
At the end the acolyte says in the name of all 
present: "Thanks be to God," thanks for the 
wonderful mysteries accomplished on the altar. 
These words here mean also a warning to the 
priest to continue his thanksgiving. He then 
takes the chalice, comes down from the altar, 
makes a slight inclination to the cross or makes 



The Thanksgiving and the End. 327 

a genuflection if the Blessed Sacrament be kept 
on the altar, and returns in deep recollection to 
the sacristy, praising the Lord. 

With this our work is done. Let none sup- 
pose, however, that in the preceding pages holy 
Mass has been sufficiently explained. An angel 
would not be able to explain so many mysteries. 
We have done what we could, not what we wished. 
May this little book tend to the honor and glory 
of God and the salvation of souls. 

U. I. O. G. D. 



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